Writer/director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson explains how Sarah Michelle Gellar's role in Cruel Intentions changed her upcoming Netflix film, Do Revenge. Released in 1999 and directed by Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions tells the story of two arrogant step-siblings, Kathryn (Gellar) and Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) who form a wager over whether they can deflower the headmaster's daughter before school begins. Cruel Intentions earned mixed reviews upon its release but has since become a cult classic, with particular praise levied at the performances of Gellar, Phillippe, and Reese Witherspoon, who plays Annette, the headmaster's daughter.
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In addition to continuing her role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gellar would go on to appear in a number of other popular movies and TV shows following Cruel Intentions, including Scooby-Doo and The Grudge 2. Gellar would even reprise her role as Kathryn for a Cruel Intentions TV movie in 2016. Netflix's upcoming movie, Do Revenge is said to pay homage to a number of 1990s classics, including Cruel Intentions, telling the story of two high school students who agree to go after each other's bullies. The new film stars Stranger Things' Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes, with Gellar confirmed to appear as well.
In a new interview with IndieWire, Robinson explains that landing Gellar for Do Revenge was a dream come true and that it led to some changes in the movie's script. Robinson confirms that the actor will appear as the Headmaster in a direct callback to Cruel Intentions, with the writer/director explaining that after Gellar signed on, she rewrote all of the Headmaster dialogue as if it were Kathryn, only 20 years later. Check out Robinson's full comment below:
“[Gellar] was my first dream choice. And it was one of those things where you don’t think she’s going to do it. I was like, ‘Yeah, of course, let’s offer it to her and see what happens.’ You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. But when she said yes, I was flabbergasted and so excited. I will say, her saying yes was kind of co-signing this movie, and made me feel like we were doing something right. It really was like the turning point for me where I was just like, ‘Oh, I think this is like might really work and it’s going to be good.' I just heard her and sat there and literally thought about Kathryn from Cruel Intentions, like, if she was the headmaster of the school, what advice would she give?"
Although Gellar's Do Revenge role is a small one, the film sounds like it will have plenty for fans of 1990s teen movies, with Hawke saying there are callbacks to Clueless, Heathers, Jawbreaker, and 10 Things I Hate About You. With both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Cruel Intentions, which is still supposedly getting a TV reboot, Gellar cemented herself as one of the quintessential '90s teen movie stars. It remains to be seen how Gellar's role will impact Do Revenge, but it's easy to see why Robinson was so thrilled to have the star come on board.
Gellar no longer appears in TV and movies as regularly as she once did, meaning there must have been something particularly exciting about Do Revenge in order for the actor to agree to sign on. With Cruel Intentions and Buffy the Vampire Slayer continuing to be important cultural touchstones to this day, it's possible that Do Revenge will be able to rope in fans who have been following Gellar's career since the 1990s. Thankfully, fans don't have much longer to wait, with Do Revenge slated to release on Netflix later this week.