'Cruel Intentions' Is Coming Back To Theaters For Its 20th Anniversary

It's been 20 years since Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) first made a bet with her stepbrother Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) to seduce the sweet and virginal Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon). But in those years, Cruel Intentions has become widely accepted as a teen erotic romance classic. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, Cruel Intentions is coming back to theaters for one week only. Read more about the Cruel Intentions theatrical re-release below.

Sony Pictures announced that the 1999 film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair will be released for a one-week engagement nationwide starting March 22, 2019.

Based on the story Dangerous Liaisons, Cruel Intentions was a modern-day update of the 1782 novel, following wealthy step-siblings Kathryn (Gellar) and Sebastian (Phillippe) who make a bet that he can deflower the virginial Annette (Witherspoon). The nasty, sultry film was a box office hit, becoming known as one of the staple films of the late-90s and spawning two direct-to-video sequels.

As a refresher for those who haven't seen the movie in 20 years, here is the synopsis for Cruel Intentions:

It's summer break, and Kathryn has been dumped by her beau, Court Reynolds, for the innocent Cecile. Desperate to get even, Kathryn challenges Sebastian to ruin Cecile by deflowering her and turning her into a tramp-thus humiliating Court by delivering Cecile to him as damaged goods. Sebastian has pretty much 'had' all of the girls in New York City up to this point, and he's gotten a bit bored of it all. Though this is too easy a conquest for him, he obliges. He sets his sights on a greater challenge-the new headmaster's daughter, Annette, who recently wrote an article in a magazine about how she intends to stay pure until she marries her boyfriend. Sebastian bets Kathryn that he can seduce the chaste and pristine Annette before school begins in the fall. Kathryn thinks this feat impossible and quickly agrees to the wager. The stakes: if Sebastian succeeds, Kathryn must give him a night of unbridled biblical pleasure, something he's wanted since their parents got married. If he fails, he must forfeit his priceless 1956 Jaguar to Kathryn and suffer the shame of defeat.

Tickets are on sale now at CruelIntentions.com.