Cruel Intentions’ Failure Is Further Proof Prime Video Needs to Leave Legacy Franchises Alone

Cruel Intentions has been canceled. After Prime Video's many failed throwback franchises, the streaming platform needs to leave them alone.

The post Cruel Intentions’ Failure Is Further Proof Prime Video Needs to Leave Legacy Franchises Alone appeared first on TV Fanatic.

There’s so much great TV out there, and most isn’t derived from legacy franchises.

Prime Video didn’t seem to get the memo because it continues to bring these excellent properties back to screens without the thrill of their predecessor.

The latest effort, Cruel Intentions, based on the hit movie of the same name, premiered in November 2024 and was pretty much ignored.

The 2024 version of Cruel Intentions was a below-average teen drama at best, playing out more like Max’s canceled Gossip Girl reboot, which had some redeeming qualities at the very least.

The 1999 Cruel Intentions had a compelling plot and a cast that included Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillipe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair.

As the lame follow-up movies can attest, you can’t reinvent the wheel without the cast that made it such a success in the first place.

The original movie captivated audiences because it pushed the envelope, but was buoyed by genuinely compelling characters who had some fantastic actors bringing them to life.

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That’s not to say Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions didn’t have good acting. Sarah Catherine Hook is currently turning in a stellar performance on The White Lotus Season 3.

Savannah Lee Smith Was the Main Attraction of Cruel Intentions

Savannah Lee Smith was the best part of the Gossip Girl reboot because she understood the assignment and used her craft to elevate the shaky material, but actors can only do so much with poor writing.

Amazon has deep pockets, so purchasing the rights to legacy franchises must feel like pocket change for its streaming platform. Still, it seems to forget that these more expensive properties need a bigger-than-average audience to break even.

This feeds into a broader problem with Prime Video as a whole. The platform seems to think that using these names on series will get subscribers and viewers, but the reality is that the world has changed.

Once upon a time, a teen drama, particularly on streaming, could easily break through because the audience consumes those shows and talks about them all over social media, generating a conversation.

However, the streaming platform seems to forget that it has to make these shows worth watching.

Remember Prime Video’s I Know What You Did Last Summer? It had zero similarities to the original movie and was swiftly canceled after a single season.

Prime Video Can’t Handle Popular Franchises

If you use a popular IP, at least use the story to craft something that will challenge viewer expectations and won’t be forgotten a few years later.

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In the words of Sidney Prescott, “Don’t f–k with the original.”

Now that Amazon has secured the rights to the James Bond franchise, there’s already much trepidation about whether the franchise will be sliced and diced to the point that we don’t know what it is any longer.

Then there’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a series that’s epic in scale, but it’s been shackled by being associated with the legacy franchise.

Admittedly, it’s a fine show, but it doesn’t feel like the same universe as the books or the movies, and I’ll die on the hill that it only earned a Season 3 renewal so that Amazon could save face.

Remember when it was picked up? Prime Video committed to a five-season deal, and ending that early would be admitting that the show hasn’t reached expectations.

Even the most diehard fans were worried when there was radio silence for months following the second season, and there was no word on a renewal.

Thankfully for those fans, a third season is officially in the works.

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Over to you, TV Fanatics! What are your thoughts on Prime Video ruining legacy IP? Do you think Cruel Intentions would have been a hit without the legacy movie name?

Hit the comments.

The post Cruel Intentions’ Failure Is Further Proof Prime Video Needs to Leave Legacy Franchises Alone appeared first on TV Fanatic.