Bert V. Royal, creator of the Freeform series Cruel Summer, has reportedly exited the young adult drama series, according to a recent report from Deadline.
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Freeform has acknowledged that the original creator of the series is no longer involved, with the outlet reporting that he left the series after the pilot following reports that he had many disagreements with a network executive. News of Royal’s exit comes just as Freeform has announced a second season of Cruel Summer is in the works.
The series is a psychological thriller that follows two young women, Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt), the popular girl with a charmed life who goes missing one day, and Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia), a nerdy wannabe who is accused of being connected to Kate’s disappearance. The series stars Holt, Aurelia, Michael Landes, From Gutierrez, Harley Quinn Smith, Allius Barnes, Blake Lee, and Brooklyn Sudano.
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Cruel Summer comes from studio eOne, with Tia Napolitano serving as showrunner. Jessica Biel is attached to the series as an executive producer, along with Napolitano and Michelle Purple. Max Winkler is also attached, having directed the pilot for the series.
