Freeform’s “Cruel Summer” Gets New Cast and Showrunner for Season 2

Freeform’s hit series Cruel Summer is undergoing a complete overhaul of its upcoming second season. The series will have a new cast and showrunner for season two, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

  • Season one stars Olivia Holt, Chiara Aurelia, Michael Landes, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee and Brooklyn Sudano reportedly knew when they signed on for the series that it was possible the show would become an anthology.
  • That appears to be the case now as a brand new cast will step in while Elle Triedman will step in as showrunner.
  • The Hollywood Reporter shared the following statement from a show rep:
    • “After getting season two of Cruel Summer up and running, Tia Napolitano has stepped back from the show, and as such, will no longer be serving as showrunner. Tia has been instrumental in the success of the show and will remain an executive producer.”
  • Production on the second season of Cruel Summer began today

About Season Two:

  • Set in an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest, season two of the anthology 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. Season two returns at a date to be determined this year.

New Cast:

  • Sadie Stanley (The Goldbergs) stars as Megan Landry, a computer coder and honor student from a blue-collar family. Once Megan meets Isabella, she begins to live in the moment and embrace her true self. When events take a tragic turn, her long held dreams are dashed and she is left wondering who she can trust.
  • Newcomer Eloise Payet portrays the alluring and enigmatic Isabella, the daughter of foreign diplomats, who is spending a year as an exchange student with the Landry family. She quickly shakes up life in this small town, but her charm can’t hide the truth about her past, or the real reason she came to live with the Landrys, forever.
  • Griffin Gluck (Locke & Key) plays Luke Chambers, Megan’s lifelong best friend from a prominent family. Over time Luke finds himself at a crossroads as he tries to establish his own place in the world separate from the expectations of his powerful father, Steve (Adelstein).
  • KaDee Strickland (Private Practice) plays Debbie, Megan’s hardworking single mom who thinks hosting Isabella will open Megan’s eyes to a bigger world than their small town.
  • Lisa Yamada (All American) is set as Parker, a popular musician who becomes more cynical as the world takes a dark turn around her.
  • Sean Blakemore (Greenleaf) will play Sheriff Myer, an old-fashioned law-and-order type, under pressure to solve the first major crime in Chatham.
  • Paul Adelstein (True Story) is set for a yet-unknown recurring role.