Eloise Payet Joins "Cruel Summer" in Leading Role for Season 2

Apr 21, 2022

For her first leading role, Eloise Payet joins a decorated cast in the return of Freeform's most successful scripted original series in history.

Buckle up, Cruel Summer fans! Freeform just announced the highly anticipated season two of its hit series, "Cruel Summer." This new installment will feature a completely different storyline, a fresh set of characters, and will introduce Elle Triedman (Siren, Guilt) as the new showrunner.

Newcomer Eloise Payet is set to star in her first leading role among a cast that includes Sadie Stanley, Griffin Gluck (Locke & Key, Tall Girl), KaDee Strickland (Private Practice), Lisa Yamada (All-American), Sean Blakemore (Greenleaf) and Paul Adelstein (True Story).

Payet stars as Isabella, an enigmatic exchange student that arrives to an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest. When she moves in with the Landry family, it becomes clear that Isabella harbors more than one secret that will shake up life for everyone in town. As it's the case with "Cruel Summer," fans can expect Payet's character to hold a storied past that's as mysterious as it is chaotic.

The freshman season of "Cruel Summer" took place over the course of three summers in the ’90s, and featured a cast that included Olivia Holt and Chiara Aurelia. The series combined mystery, murder, and high school life in a small town with an intense twist that had audiences asking for more. The first season ranks as the most watched original series in Freeform's history, and garnered plenty of success in Hulu as well.

When "Cruel Summer" returns with a new cast, it will center on the trials and tribulations of an intense teenage friendship. This time, the timelines will be set around the Y2K. We will meet Isabella, Megan, and Luke, a group of friends who enter a love triangle that will impact their lives forever.

Freeform announced that production has officially begun for season two. While a release date has yet to be announced, we couldn't be more thrilled to see Eloise Payet bring Isabella to life in one of the most anticipated series of the year.

Make sure to follow Eloise Payet on Instagram for the latest updates on her career and the second season of "Cruel Summer."