‘Cruel Summer’ season 3 in development with Olivia Holt Return
Maybe it’s not such a cruel summer. Variety has only learned from sources that a third season of “Cruel Summer” is currently being developed at Hulu and Freeform.
Olivia Holt would play in the lead and produce the new season and repeat the role of Kate Wallis from season 1 of the series. In addition, Cori Uchida and Adam Lash went on board as show runners and executive producers. Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple would again produce executive via Iron Ocean. Lionsgate TV is the studio.
Representatives for Disney refused to comment.
“Cruel Summer” was originally made by Bert V. Royal. The series debuted on Freeform in 2021 and soon became the most viewed show in the history of the network. It was renewed for a second season not long after the launch, but it was later reported that the show would follow the Anthology Route with a completely new cast, new storyline and new show runner for season 2. It was also reported that Royal had left the show after filming the pilot. He was still credited as the maker and as an executive producer. The second season was not as well received as the first, and Freeform canceled the show in 2023.
Together with Holt, the cast of season 1 Chiara Aurelia, Michael Landes, Froy Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee and Brooklyn Sudano. The first season focused on the story of two young women in three summers – the popular Kate Wallis (Holt), who is mysteriously missing, and the Nerdy Jeanette Turner (Aurelia), who is accused of being connected to Kate’s disappearance.
Season 2 played Sadie Stanley, Griffin Gluck, Eloise Payet, Lisa Yamada, Sean Blakemore and Kadee Strickland. It was said that the season ‘the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship is approaching. The story is approaching three different timelines around Y2K, the season turns and revolves the early friendship between Megan (Stanley), Isabella (Underwood) and Megan’s best friend Luke (Gluck), the love triangle that flourished and the mystery that influences the extreme of the progress. “
In addition to ‘Cruel Summer’, Holt also played in the Freeform-Marvel series ‘Cloak & Dagger’. She was recently seen in the comic horror film ‘Heart Eyes’ and the Peacock Comedy series ‘Laid’. She made her Broadway debut as a Roxie Hart in “Chicago” in 2023.
Uchida and Lash have previously written for shows such as “Parish” at AMC, “The Thing About Pam” at NBC, “Roswell, New Mexico” at the CW and “Altered Carbon” at Netflix.
Holt is being reputed by WME, Entertainment 360 and Yorn Levine Barnes. Uchida and Lash are taken back by WME, anonymous content and Hansen Jacobson.
