CRUEL INTENTIONS
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Director: - Roger Kumble
Screenplay: - Roger Kumble
(based on the novel by Choderlos de Laclos)
Gellar's role: - Katheryn Merteuil
Co-starring: - Ryan Phillips, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair
US Release Date: - 5 March 1999
Length: - 97 minutes
Genre: - Drama
Kathryn bets sex against a classic car that her step-brother, Sebastian, won't be able to have sex with Annette. Jim Jenkins (Mr. Caldwell) played a priest in BTVS (Lover's Walk). This is a remake of Dangerous Liaisons. The film played in 2,312 theaters in the US before being released on DVD. It grossed $38,328,567. Ronald Clifford (Sean Patrick Thomas) was not much of a music teacher. He tells Cecile (Selma Blair) to play a G major scale, and then adds: "Remember the third note. It's sharp.".
Costume Designer Denise Wingate spoke to Austen Tosone of Interview Magazine about creating the film's look: "My whole idea was to do a contemporary take of Dangerous Liaisons [1988]. For one of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s outfits, we built up this corset and then put it under a Dolce & Gabbana suit so that it referenced an 18th century silhouette but it still felt contemporary. You’ll notice that the drapes in the room are the same color as the sheer dress Kathryn wears. We wanted the palette to be cohesive. We built all of the sets on this little stage down in Culver City. It was one of the most fun times I’ve ever had making a movie because it really was just us in this little world we created. So much of the story is about the palette because through colors you can introduce characters without anyone even opening their mouths. To me that’s the most exciting thing. I don’t follow fashion—it’s all about the story and the character for me."
The oversized black sunglasses Gellar wore in the film were by Ksubi.
Slideshow - Sarah Michelle Gellar in Cruel Intentions
DANGEROUS LIAISONS, the 1988 film with Glen Close which won three Oscars grossed only $34,700,000 in the US, and slightly under 10 million Krona in Sweden. The worldwide gross for Cruel Intentions was $75,902,208.
Cruel Intentions had a TV series prequel which starred Amy Adams in the role of Kathryn. MANCHESTER PREP was a series that followed sexual shenanigans at an elite private school in New York. The pilot opened with Kathryn staring at her stepbrother while he's taking a shower and commenting on his endowment. Two episodes were filmed, titled "Pretty in Plaid" and "Disfunction Junction", but they never aired, and were eventually used in the direct-to-DVD film Cruel Intentions 2.
TRAILER
CAST
- Sarah Michelle Gellar - Kathryn Merteuil
- Ryan Phillippe - Sebastian Valmont
- Reese Witherspoon - Annette Hargrove
- Selma Blair - Cecile Caldwell
- Christine Baranski - Bunny Caldwell
- Louise Fletcher - Helen Rosemond
- Swoosie Kurtz - Dr. Greenbaum
- Tara Reid - Marci Greenbaum
- Joshua Jackson - Blaine Tuttle
- Eric Mabius - Greg McConnell
- Sean Patrick Thomas - Ronald Clifford
- Hiep Thi Le - Mai-Lee
- Drew Snyder - Headmaster Hargrove
- Charlie O'Connell - Court Reynolds
- Jim Jenkins - Mr. Caldwell
- Deborah Offner - Mrs. Michalak
- Herta Ware - Mrs. Sugarman
- Ginger Williams - Clorissa
- Fred Norris - Meter Maid
- Alaina Reed-Hall - Nurse
- Phil Hawn - Subway Pedestrian
- Elizabeth M. Kelly - Party Goer
CRUEL INTENTIONS can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, and is available on DVD and Blu-ray.
MUSICALS
Created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will tour the UK and Ireland in 2025.
Gellar recorded the pre-show announcement for Off-Broadway’s 2015Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical Experience. In the announcement, which was delivered as her character Katheryn Merteuil might have delivered it, Gellar said:
"Welcome to Cruel Intentions: The Musical. The game's about to begin, which means it's time for you to put your cell phones on silent. It's not that difficult, morons. Take out tht second rate phone, and hit the silent button. And for all of you tourists out there who think it would be swell to take a photo or video of the show and bring it home to bum-fuck nowhere, well guess what, that's not permitted either. Please obey, or I will cyber-shame you into oblivion. Happy hunting, and enjoy the show."
The show, directed by Lindsey Rosin, ran from November 2015 to February 2016 at Le poisson rouge in New York City.
Katie Stevens and Lindsay Pearce alternated the role of Kathryn Merteuil in Cruel Intentions: The Completely Unauthorized Musical Parody, at Rockwell Table and Stage in 2015 in Los Angeles. Others in the cast included Constantine Rousouli (Sebastian), Shelley Regner (Cecile), Molly McCook (Annette), and Tyler Scheef (Blaine). Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sean Patrick Thomas, and author Roger Kumble attended a performance of the musical on 10 April. After the show, Gellar commented: "It's so crazy. It was such a flood of memories. I don't necessarily think of it as me. But then they started talking, and I could feel the words coming out of my mouth!"
A more recent version of the Cruel Intentions Musical, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, and including the songs of Britney Spears, Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, Ace of Base, Natalie Imbruglia, NSYNC and others, toured the UK and Ireland earlier this year (starting 13 February in Windsor, UK and ending in Brighton on 28 June). Lisa Lanzi reviewed the show for Theatre Travels: "In her first professional role, Kelsey Halge is in fine voice as Annette Hargrove. Her acting too is exceptional and she definitely has spell as well as an assured future in musical theatre. Francine Cain has some scene stealing moments as Cecile and her exceptional experience shows in both characterization and her strong, expressive voice. Both these women are standout performers. Fem Belling stars as Mrs Caldwell and embodies the saying that ‘there are no small roles’ - it is a pleasure to watch her command the stage. Also in his first professional role, Rishab Kern is a sweet, full-voiced Ronald who delivers one of the best lines in the show."
The (unaired pilot) CRUEL INTENTIONS sequel
According to People Magazine: "NBC’s follow-up to the 1999 movie follows Bash Casey (Smith), the son of Sebastian Valmont (portrayed by Ryan Phillippe in the movie) and Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon in the movie and Kate Levering in the series). After Bash unearths his deceased father’s journal where he chronicled all of his misdeeds, he takes his father’s 1957 Jaguar Roadster from Kansas to San Francisco, where he meets his aunt Kathryn (Gellar), who is fighting for control of Valmont International and him.".
Karhryn Merteuil's "right hand woman" Carmen was played by Nathalie Kelley.
Pilot: Cast and Characters
- Sarah Michelle Gellar - Kathryn Merteuil
- Peter Gallagher - Edward Valmont
- Nathalie Kelley - Carmen
- Kate Levering - Annette Hargrove
- Sophina Brown - Naomi
- Coby Bell - Pascal
- Taylor John Smith - Bash Casey
- Bryce Cass - Miles Castillo
- Samantha Logan - Cassidy
- David DeSantos - Jack
