Amazon looks ahead to Cruel Summer

Global streamer Amazon has secured exclusive worldwide first-window rights (excluding the US, Canada and China) to psychological thriller Cruel Summer for its Prime Video service.

Michelle Purple and Jessica Biel

Produced by Entertainment One (eOne), alongside Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple’s prodco Iron Ocean Productions, the series will launch on Prime Video following its US premiere on Disney-owned cablenet Freeform later this year.

The series takes place over three summers in the 90s. A beautiful teen goes missing and a seemingly unrelated girl transforms from an awkward outlier to the most popular girl in town, eventually becoming the most despised person in America.

It will be created and executive produced by Bert V Royal with Tia Napolitano serving as showrunner and executive producer. The cast includes Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Michael Landes, Froy Gutierrez and Harley Quinn Smith.

eOne has worldwide distribution rights to the series (excluding US and Canada), including second windows.

Stuart Baxter, president of international distribution for eOne, said: “Cruel Summer is incredibly timely in today’s age of strong female voices, and unique in telling the story from dual perspectives, unravelling a dark mystery piece by piece. We believe this edge-of-your-seat, layered drama with international themes will appeal to audiences all around the world, initially on SVoD and then beyond.”