Sarah Michelle Gellar Will Return to ‘Cruel Intentions’ With Role in TV Sequel

Earlier this month, NBC placed an order for a Cruel Intentions TV pilot that would act as a sort of sequel to the 1999 film, and today brings the fortuitous news that the central pillar of this grand monument to teen horniness will return for the second go-round. Now comes word that original star Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role as Kathryn Merteuil, the queen-bitch rich kid meddling in everyone’s affairs with her sexual scheming.

At the close of the film, Kathryn had been laid low when all of her treachery was exposed, and then the drugs hidden in her rosary got her in even worse trouble. But a lot of time has passed in seventeen years, and she’s an adult now. Perhaps she’s learned a valuable lesson since we saw her last, and has changed her nefarious ways. Variety’s item suggests otherwise, outlining a plot in which Kathryn, now in full-blown cougar mode, attempts to morally defile the strapping young son of Philippe’s character from the original film.

#throwbackthursday (a bit early in Los Angeles) this picture was taken on the eve of production on the original #cruelintentions. Its me #rogerkumble (director) and #nealmoritz (exec producer) and the other is a picture of us now on the eve of production on the new #cruelintentions. 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

A photo posted by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) on Feb 24, 2016 at 6:03pm PST

If you’re anything like me, you spent most of last weekend holed up with your laptop, burning through episodes of Judd Apatow’s new Netflix show Love. And if you’re really, really like me, then you yelled “YES, THANK YOU” through a mouthful of dry Fruity Pebbles when lead Paul Rust expressed his frustration that Hollywood’s production of erotic thrillers has ebbed since the genre’s ‘90s heyday. He cites Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct as key examples while discussing the topic, but for those viewers who like their sexual intrigue a little on the younger side, Cruel Intentions was second to none. A date-night rework of the 18th-century French novel Les liaisons dangereuses, the film revolves around a pair of high school step-siblings (Gellar and Ryan Philippe) who recreationally torment their classmates by tricking them into having sex, or foiling their plans to have sex. At one point, Gellar and Selma Blair kiss. It is a very special film.

Gellar’s had trouble finding a new hit since her iconic stint on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, taking roles on sitcoms that petered out after a season or two, or films that never see a wide release. (Her recent Veronika Decides to Die was bad, but in a fascinating way. There is a piano masturbation scene.) Perhaps returning to the golden well that first made her a star can renew her celebrity.