Cruel Summer Season 2: Everything We Know So Far

A new year brings a new mystery at the center of Cruel Summer, Freeform’s hit anthology. After premiering in April 2021, the teen drama quickly became a sensation, and it went on to become the highest-rated series in Freeform history. Details about Cruel Summer Season 2 have been scarce since the drama was renewed in June 2021, but during a Television Critics Association 2023 Winter Press Tour panel on Wednesday, Freeform finally previewed what’s to come for the series. Season 2 shifts the action from Skylin, Texas to the Pacific Northwest, where a new group of teenage characters find themselves drawn into a sordid puzzle set around Y2K.

From premiere date information to new stars Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood, here’s everything we know so far about Cruel Summer Season 2:

What is Cruel Summer Season 2 about?

Like American Horror Story and other anthologies, Cruel Summer will hit the refresh button in Season 2, introducing a different set of characters and a sinister new mystery. In an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest, Megan and her lifelong best friend Luke form a unique bond with exchange student Isabella on the eve of Y2K. Just as their friendship (and a love triangle) begins to blossom, tragedy strikes, dashing Megan’s long-held dreams and threatening to reveal the real reason Isabella moved to town.

Like the first season, this installment approaches the story from multiple timelines, each of which offers new details about the controversy that will forever alter Megan, Luke, and Isabella’s lives.

Executive producers Jessica Biel, Michelle Purple, and Elle Triedman shared during the show’s TCA panel that Season 2 will involve a viral sex tape, a storyline that draws inspiration from Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s scandal in the late 1990s. The creative team also relied on their own experiences with Y2K and the prevailing sentiment that “anything could happen” at the turn of the millennium to fuel the drama.

Cruel Summer cast: Meet Sadie Stanley and Lexi Underwood

Leading the cast of Cruel Summer is Sadie Stanley, who plays Megan Landry, a computer coder and honor student from a blue-collar family. Stanley is best known for her multi-season arc as Brea Bee in The Goldbergs and her lead performance in Disney’s Kim Possible live-action TV movie.

Isabella LaRue, an enigmatic newcomer spending the year as an exchange student with the Landry family, is played by Lexi Underwood. The young actress has made a name for herself in recent years, booking key roles as Kerry Washington’s daughter in Little Fires Everywhere and Malia Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady.

The final member of Cruel Summer’s main trio is Luke Chambers, Megan’s best friend from a prominent family. Luke is played by Griffin Gluck, who has been a fixture in young adult TV since breaking out in mockumentary series American Vandal in 2017. The 22-year-old actor also starred in Netflix’s Locke & Key and appeared opposite Pete Davidson in Big Time Adolescence.

In addition, Cruel Summer Season 2 features KaDee Strickland (Shut Eye, Private Practice) as Debbie Landry, Megan’s hard-working single mother; Lisa Yamada (Little Fires Everywhere) as Parker, a popular musician; and Sean Blakemore (General Hospital) as Sheriff Myer, a law-and-order type under pressure to solve the town’s first major crime.

SEASON 2 <LOADING> Coming this summer on @FreeformTV. 😎 #CruelSummer pic.twitter.com/xHdEWWtznT

— Cruel Summer (@cruelsummer) January 11, 2023

Will Cruel Summer Season 1 star Chiara Aurelia be in the new season?

Freeform seems to be following the rules of the anthology game with Cruel Summer, which means it’s unlikely Chiara Aurelia, who played embattled outcast Jeanette, will appear in the upcoming installment.

However, producers tease that Season 2 will include an Easter egg connected to last season, so viewers should keep their eyes peeled.

What is the Cruel Summer Season 2 release date?

During the presentation, Freeform revealed that Cruel Summer will return for its second season in Summer 2023, though a specific date has not yet been announced.

Where can I watch Cruel Summer Season 2?

In addition to airing weekly on Freeform, Cruel Summer, like other shows on the network, will be available to stream on Hulu next-day. Fans who want to relive Season 1 can also find it on Hulu.

Join the conversation about Cruel Summer in our forums.

Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.