Cruel Intentions’ Brooke Lena Johnson Teases the Biggest Differences Between the Show and the 1999 Film

“We had a great family feel to it,” Johnson shared, and that in turn created a hospitable environment for leaning into the characters’ nastiness. “We could play around with these more dangerous, dark, taboo sides of the show because everyone was so playful and welcoming.”

There was plenty of “fighting on camera,” she added, but “there wasn’t any of that off. You can enjoy the fun and then [off-camera] everyone would just laugh and be like, ‘But you’re so great!'”

For anyone wanting more of what the classic story—which originated with the 1782 French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses—had to offer, the intentions are still cruel and the liaisons dangerous. But the show “is a breath of fresh air,” Johnson said.  “You can see more in detail what [lengths] people go to get where they want to be. “

And even if you know the movie by heart, “anyone who’s seen it before is going to be really surprised” by the series, she said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Cruel Intentions premieres Nov. 21 on Amazon Prime Video.