Cruel Summer

***Cruel Summer*** is a thriller drama anthology television miniseries from the minds of Bert V. Royal, Jessica Biel, and eOne. It airs weekly on *Freeform*. Season 1 premiered on April 20, 2021 and concluded on June 15, 2021. The series was renewed for a second season on June 15, 2021, which premiered on June 5, 2023, with a special two-episode premiere at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The series was canceled by Freeform on December 10, 2023.

## Plot

**Season 1**
Taking place in a small fictional town, Skylin, Texas, this season follows two teenage girls from opposite worlds- Jennette Turner, a nerdy wannabe and Kate Wallis, a wealthy popular girl, as their lives are forever changed after one of them goes missing and the other one takes their place.

**Season 2**
Set in an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest, the next chapter of “Cruel Summer” follows the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship. Approaching the story from two different timelines—'99, and '00, surrounding Y2K, the season twists and turns as it tracks the early friendship between Megan, Isabella and Megan’s best friend Luke, the love triangle that blossomed, and the mystery that would impact all of their lives going forward.

## Cast

### Season 1

* Starring
* Guest Starring

* Olivia Holt as Kate Wallis
* Chiara Aurelia as Jeanette Turner
* Froy Gutierrez as Jamie Henson
* Harley Quinn Smith as Mallory Higgins
* Allius Barnes as Vince Fuller
* Blake Lee as Martin Harris
* Michael Landes as Greg Turner
* Brooklyn Sudano as Angela Prescott

- Sarah Drew as Cindy Turner

- Barrett Carnahan as Derek Turner

- Andrea Anders as Joy Wallis

- Benjamin J. Cain Jr as Rod Wallis

- Nicole Bilderback as Denise Harper

- Shelby Surdam as Tennille Peterson

- Aaliyah Muhammad as Renee Talbot

### Season 2

* Starring
* Guest Starring

* Sadie Stanley as Megan Landry
* Lexi Underwood as Isabella LaRue
* Griffin Gluck as Luke Chambers
* KaDee Strickland as Debbie Landry
* Lisa Yamada as Parker Tanaka
* Sean Blakemore as Sheriff Myer

- Paul Adelstein as Steve Chambers

## Production

On September 25, 2019, *Freeform* ordered a pilot episode for *Last Summer*. Lauren Corrao, the EVP of Freeform said, "*Bert’s incredible character detail and unique voice coupled with Max’s distinctive vision is sure to leave our viewers on the edge of their seats. We are also incredibly honored to have Jessica and Michelle’s female-forward prowess contributing to this uniquely layered show.*"

On January 17, 2020, *Freeform* picked up *Last Summer* for a series order.

On January 13, 2021, Amazon Prime secured the exclusive first window worldwide rights, excluding North America and China, to the Jessica Biel-produced psychological thriller series “Cruel Summer”. The series launched later this year following its U.S. premiere on Freeform later this year. Production and filming for the second season began on March 22, 2022.

On July 6, 2021 Bert V. Royal exited the series. Tia Napolitano also exited as showrunner but remained as an executive producer. Elle Triedman joined the series as an executive producer and the new showrunner.

## Casting

On November 13, 2019, Chiara Aurelia and Mika Abdalla were cast as the titular characters. Also cast were Michael Landes, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, Nathaniel Ashton, and Brooklyn Sudano. On May 18, 2020, Olivia Holt was cast as series lead, following Abdalla's exit after the Pilot episode. On May 11, 2021, Barrett Carnahan, Andrea Anders, Benjamin J. Cain Jr, and Nicole Bilderback were cast in recurring roles.

On April 21, 2022, Sadie Stanley, Eloise Payet, Griffin Gluck, KaDee Strickland, Lisa Yamada, and Sean Blakemore joined the cast in starring roles, with recurring guest star Paul Adelstein). On April 27, 2022, Lexi Underwood was cast in the role of Isabella LaRue, following the exit of Eloise Payet from the role. The recast also followed the seasons first table read.

## Filming

The first season of *Cruel Summer* was filmed over six months in Dallas, Texas.

Production for the second season began on March 8, 2022. On April 21, 2022, it was announced that filming had officially began on the second season. Filming is taking place in Richmond, British Columbia and lasted until August 19, 2022. It wrapped filming on September 7, 2022.

## Trivia

* The pilot of *Cruel Summer* was initially developed under the name *Last Summer*.
* The series has recast a lead star each season.
	+ Mika Abdalla originally portrayed Kate Wallis in Season 1 until the role was recast to Olivia Holt.
	+ Eloise Payet originally portrayed Isabella LaRue in Season 2 until the role was recast to Lexi Underwood.
* “Cruel Summer” is the network’s most-watched series ever, ranking as the No. 1 new cable drama of the year among Women 18-34, with the most recent episode delivering the drama’s biggest linear TV audience yet—surging by 31% over its premiere. In MP35, the series averages 6.8 million viewers per episode.

## References

1. ↑ **Deadline:** Freeform Unveils First-Look At Jessica Biel-Produced Series ‘Cruel Summer’ – TCA - Deadline
2. ↑ **Deadline:** ‘Cruel Summer’ Renewed For Season 2 At Freeform; YA Drama Could Return With Same Cast Or In Anthology Form
3. ↑ **Deadline:** Freeform Sets Premiere Dates For ‘Grown-ish’ Final Season & ‘Cruel Summer’ Season 2
4. ↑ **Deadline:** ‘Cruel Summer’ & ‘Good Trouble’ Canceled By Freeform
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 **Deadline:** ‘Cruel Summer’: Season 2 Of Freeform Drama Introduces Fresh Mystery, New Cast & Third Showrunner
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 **Deadline:** ‘Cruel Summer’: Lexi Underwood Joins Season 2 Of Freeform Series In Recasting
7. ↑ ttyl! @cruelsummer @freeform #cruelsummer
8. ↑ **Deadline:** Freeform Orders 'Last Summer' Pilot
9. ↑ **Deadline:** Freeform Picks Up 'Last Summer' from Jessica Biel
10. ↑ **Deadline:** Amazon Prime to Launce 'Cruel Summer' on Platforms Later This Year
11. ↑ **Deadline:** ‘Cruel Summer’ Creator Bert V. Royal Exits Freeform Drama.
12. ↑ **Deadline:** Freeform Announces Main Cast for 'Last Summer'
13. ↑ **Deadline:** Olivia Holt to Replace Mika Abdalla in 'Cruel Summer'
14. ↑ **Deadline:** 'Cruel Summer': Barrett Carnahan, Andrea Anders, Benjamin J. Cain and Nicole Bilderback Join Cast in Recurring Roles
15. ↑ **Texas Monthly:** What ‘Cruel Summer’ Gets Right About Texans
16. ↑ **DGC:** DGC Production List - Archived
17. ↑ **Instagram (@michellepurple3):** That’s a wrap on Cruel Summer season 2!!!