We’re just as surprised as you are. According to Variety, Cruel Summer is returning for a Season 3! And not only that. Olivia Holt, who co-starred in Season 1 alongside Chiara Aurelia, is also back. And we’re celebrating! Although, to be honest, we’re also a little baffled.
Cruel Summer was canceled by Freeform in 2023 due to Season 2’s reception not meeting the high expectations set by Season 1—which was the most-watched in the network’s history. But now, the show will return in full force thanks to Hulu and Freeform.
Cori Uchida and Adam Lash have been tapped as showrunners and executive producers. Additionally, Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple will return as executive producers. Meanwhile, Holt will be a producer for Season 3 as well as the lead, reprising her role as Kate Wallis. And this leaves us speechless.
What Will Happen in Cruel Summer Season 3?
Since it was announced that Season 2 of the series would have a new cast and story, like an anthology, we didn’t expect to revisit characters from other seasons. But here we are. And we wonder if Holt’s return will also mean the return of his co-star Aurelia.
If you recall, Cruel Summer Season 1 focused on the story of two teenagers over the course of three summers: the popular Kate Wallis (Holt), who mysteriously disappears, and the nerdy Jeanette Turner (Aurelia), who is accused of being linked to Kate’s disappearance, having essentially stolen her life.
At the end of Season 1, while Kate apologized to Jeanette for publicly accusing her of knowing where she was and doing nothing to rescue her, we discovered that Jeanette had known all along. So, with Holt’s return in Cruel Summer Season 3, perhaps we’ll pick up the story where we left off, with Kate finally discovering the truth about Jeanette and having to fight to be believed after clearing her. Of course, that would also mean the return of the rest of the cast; Michael Landes, Froy Gutiérrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, and Brooklyn Sudano.
The other possibility is that they’ll continue the anthology path, with Kate getting involved in a completely new story with characters yet to be discovered. But it seems unlikely that Holt will be brought back to play Kate just to create a completely new story and not take advantage of the possibilities left in Season 1. In any case, there’s less and less time to find out!
Cruel Summer Season 3 will premiere soon on Freeform.
