Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar has been fairly selective about the projects she’s joined since Joss Whedon’s wildly popular series ended its seven-season run in 2003, but her next role will see her returning to another, familiar character from her past.
Geller announced this week that she’ll reprise her role from the 1999 movie Cruel Intentions for an upcoming television series based on the film. The original movie, which starred Gellar, Ryan Phillipe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair, cast the Buffy actress as a scheming prep school student who uses charm and seduction to manipulate the people around her.
The news of Gellar’s involvement came from the actress herself, who posted an image on Instagram featuring a photo of herself with Cruel Intentions director Roger Kumble and executive producer Neal Moritz during production of the original movie, juxtaposed with a recent photo of all three together again.
“That’s right ‘everybody loves me, and I intend to keep it that way’ #kathrynmerteuil is back!!! I am happy to say that I will be joining them (and @nbctv ) on the new #Crueltv,” wrote Gellar in the caption for the photo.
According to Deadline, the Cruel Intentions television series will be set 15 years after the events of the 1999 movie, and will pick up with Kathryn Merteuil (Gellar) vying for control of her wealthy family’s company. American Crime actor Taylor John Smith will play Bash Casey, the son of Kathryn’s late stepbrother, Sebastian Valmont (Phillippe), and Annette Hargrove (Witherspoon).
The series will reportedly follow Kathryn as she continues to manipulate her way to power, as well as Bash’s introduction to the world of sex, money, and power that his father was immersed in prior to meeting his mother and the events of the original movie.
Kumble, who wrote and directed the 1999 movie and its direct-to-video 2000 prequel, Cruel Intentions 2, co-wrote the pilot for the series and will direct it. He penned the script for the pilot with Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross, the writers responsible for the stage show Cruel Intentions: The Unauthorized Musical Parody.
There’s no word on when the Cruel Intentions television series will premiere on NBC at this point.
