Nearly a decade after it was filmed, the long-lost 2016 TV pilot for Cruel Intentions has finally surfaced. The once highly anticipated project, which starred original film icon Sarah Michelle Gellar, never made it to series – but it remained a cult curiosity for years among fans of the 1999 movie.
NBC originally commissioned the pilot as a continuation of the iconic teen drama, set 17 years after the events of the film. Gellar reprised her role as Kathryn Merteuil, now a manipulative player in the cutthroat world of wealth and politics. The pilot also starred Taylor John Smith as Bash Casey, the son of the late Sebastian Valmont (originally played by Ryan Phillippe) and Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon).
Fans of Red, White & Royal Blue will be happy to see that a young Taylor Zakhar Perez appeared in the role of Tayo, adding charm and conflict to the new generation of characters navigating Kathryn’s treacherous social games. Samantha Logan, Peter Gallagher, and Coby Bell also featured in the pilot, enriching the twisted world of seduction and power.
Despite a strong fanbase and buzzy casting, the pilot was ultimately shelved, reportedly due to internal network shifts and concerns about its risqué content. Since then, it’s become a subject of fascination for diehard fans – until now.
You can watch the Cruel Intentions pilot exclusively below. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just discovering the Cruel Intentions universe, the unreleased pilot is sure to be a must-watch for TV lovers everywhere.