On September 25, 2019, Freeform gave "Last Summer" a pilot order. On January 17, 2020, "Last Summer" was picked to series. The series was created by Bert V. Royal who was also expected to executive produce alongside Jessica Biel, Michelle Purple, and Max Winkler who also directed the pilot. The production companies involved with the series are Entertainment One and Iron Ocean Productions. On May 18, 2020, "Last Summer" was retitled as "Cruel Summer". The series premiered on April 20, 2021. On June 15, 2021, Freeform renewed the series for a second season.