Cruel Intentions Update: NBC Considering ‘Alternative Platform’ for Sarah Michelle Gellar Revival

Cruel Intentions may be headed online.

At the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Tuesday, NBC president Jennifer Salke confirmed to reporters that the revival — which failed to score a series pickup last May — remains alive at the network. And all options are being explored, including a streaming-only rollout.

“It was really a space issue,” Salke said of the decision to hold off on formally ordering the project for fall. “We had a spot for a big, great soap, and This Is Us seemed to fit better. So we started looking for opportunities in midseason, possibly summer for the show. We [also] started talking about the OTT [streaming] platform that you heard was looming. So we right now we wanted to make sure we have the show, because I’m determined to find a place to put it.”

NBC’s decision to extend its contractual options on Sarah Michelle Gellar and the rest of the cast is evidence the network still believes in the project, Salke maintained. “We wouldn’t have held that talent if we didn’t have every intention of finding an opportunity for the show,” she said.

Regarding the show’s boundary-pushing content, Salke noted, “I think there would be two versions of the show, and, of course, if it ends up on some alternative platform, we would have more leeway. But it is designed to be dishy and fun and sort of push the envelope as far as sexuality. It’s not something we’re inviting kids in to watch.”

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