Cruel Summer Executive Producers Explain Season 2’s Format Change

Freeform’s hit series Cruel Summer returns for its second season Monday, June 5th, but the when the series returns it does so with some big changes. As was previously announced, the sophomore season of the series will feature an entirely new cast, showrunner, and storyline, turning the series into an anthology rather than continuing a storyline over multiple seasons. Now, series executive producers Michelle Purple and Jessica Biel are explaining the decision to shake things up.

“We took into big consideration [that] people really loved the cast in Season 1 and were connected to them,” Purple told TVLine. “We actually opened up a room and discussed, ‘What does it look like to continue both these girls’ stories or one of these girl’s stories?”

“We struggled with where to go from there because it really felt like [Season 1] really had stuck the landing, and it was a complete story.”

Purple further explained that the anthology option is what they settled on upon realizing that would give the series the most legs and allow them to hold onto the core of the show, just within a new story.

“And we really stepped back and we were able to look at the show — the three timelines, the dual perspectives, the mystery, the week-to-week who do you believe? — and [decided] that it was something we could hold on to as the core of what Cruel Summer is and find a new story, two new characters to follow,”

What is Season 2 of Cruel Summer about?

Here’s how Freeform describes the upcoming season: “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 three different timelines 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.”

“Cruel Summer stars Sadie Stanley, Lexi Underwood, Griffin Gluck, KaDee Strickland, Lisa Yamada and Sean Blakemore. Paul Adelstein and Braeden De La Garza will recur. “Cruel Summer” comes from studio eOne and was created by Bert V. Royal. Elle Triedman serves as showrunner. Executive producers include Triedman, Bill Purple, Tia Napolitano and Iron Ocean Productions’ Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple. The series is produced and distributed internationally by eOne.”

Cruel Summer Season 2 premieres Monday, June 5th at 9 p.m. ET. on Freeform.