Laura Benanti has exited Amazon’s “Cruel Intentions” adaptation due to a scheduling conflict, a representative for Benanti confirmed to TheWrap.
Benanti, who was slated to recur in a guest star role as Caroline’s mother, Claudia, is unable to move forward in production due a “scheduling conflict,” and told Variety, who first reported the news, that she is hopeful the adaptation’s team will find a “wonderful actress to play this role.”
Recently appearing in “Life & Beth,” Benanti stars in the upcoming Jennifer Lawrence film “No Hard Feelings,” and the Tony-winner is currently starring in an off-Broadway production of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters” alongside Matthew Broderick.
The news comes days after reports that the adaptation of the 1999 cult film, which had been in development at Amazon Freevee since 2021, had set its main cast, which was to include Sarah Catherine Hook as Caroline Merteuil, Claudia’s daughter.
Zac Burgess and Myra Molloy will lead the series alongside Hook while additional cast for the series includes Khobe Clarke, Brooke Lena Johnson, Sara Silva, Sean Patrick Thomas and John Harlan Kim.
A representative for Amazon declined to comment.
Based on the 1999 film, the series is set at an elite university in Washington, D.C., and follows two ruthless step siblings who are willing to go to great lengths to stay on top of the social pyramid. After a brutal hazing incident threatens the entire Panhellenic system, they’ll do anything to preserve their power and reputations, even attempt to seduce the daughter of the vice president of the United States, per the official logline.
Hailing from Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios and Original Film, Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman will write the series together and Fisher will write the pilot as Goodman supervises.
The original film, which was written and directed by Roger Kumble, starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair and was based on the novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” by Choderlos de Laclos.
