Is Cruel Summer Based On A Book? The Show’s Inspiration Explained

Cruel Summer is Freeform’s latest teen drama, and it will probably have audiences wondering whether the series is based on a book. Developed by Bert V. Royal, the thriller centers on a kidnapping over a three-year period in the ’90s. Starring Olivia Holt and Chiara Aurelia as the leads, Cruel Summer is looking to be the network’s new hit, filling the major void left by fellow mystery Pretty Little Liars.

Though Royal was at the helm of Cruel Summer‘s development, Jessica Biel (The Sinner) notably serves as an executive producer while Tia Napolitano is steering the ship as the showrunner. The story depicts June 21st on 1993, 1994, and 1995 in connection to the kidnapping of Kate (Holt). Heavily involved in the girl’s disappearance is Jeanette (Aurelia), a peer who has a fascination with Kate before she goes missing. To complicate matters, Jeanette assumes Kate’s lifestyle and social status. When Kate is found, she accuses Jeanette of being involved in the abduction, pinning the two girls against each other while their friends and family don’t know who to believe.

While Cruel Summer seems like a plot taken directly from a YA series, the show isn’t based on a book. The story also isn’t inspired by any real-life kidnapping cases. Instead, Freeform decided to take a chance on Royal’s original story based on his past success. Not only was he a writer on the Emma Stone-led drama-comedy Easy A, but he also co-wrote and executive-produced fellow Freeform series, Recovery Road. Based on the format of storytelling and the non-linear plot, it may seem surprising considering the network’s knack for adapting popular books into shows, like the case with Pretty Little Liars. Royal, however, has shared some of his inspiration when creating Cruel Summer.

With Biel’s involvement and Max Winkler attached to direct, Royal expressed his intention with the series (via Deadline) when it was officially greenlit, saying: “We’re really excited to tell this story that we hope will spark some interesting conversations about how our society can upend a person’s life and send them to the hell of infamy before—and sometimes even, despite—the facts.” A book may not be involved, but Royal clearly took inspiration from the outside world. Based on the false accusations and pinning of teenage girls against each other in Easy A‘s plot, Royal has shown he’s capable of writing complicated stories. He has taken those concepts to a new level with Cruel Summer, indicating that he’s evolved his scope by interweaving important discussions involving the lives of teenagers.

Seeing as Cruel Summer takes place in the ’90s, Royal and the crew clearly had some inspiration from the decade regarding the setting. Biel would have good insight seeing as the actress memorably played Mary Camden in 7th Heaven, a family drama that began in the mid-90s. The Cruel Summer plot involving Jeanette essentially assuming Kate’s identity had also drawn connections to the 1992 psychological thriller, Single White Female. Whether that was intentional or not, entertainment creators tend to draw inspiration from established plotting before making it their own. It looks like Royal is doing just that with Cruel Summer.

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Kara Hedash
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Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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