Hewitt and Prinze Jr. Reunite This ‘Summer’

The trailer for the long-awaited sequel “I Know What You Did Last Summer” was released online Tuesday, April 22nd. The bloody slasher flick brings franchise stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back for more carnage after 27 years.

“This isn’t the first time there’s been violence like this in Southport,” Prinze Jr.’s character Ray Bronson says in the trailer to a group of concerned townspeople. We hear him continue, “It’s not going to stop,” as the trailer cuts to a picture of his real-life wife Sarah Michelle Gellar, who played fan favorite character Helen Shivers in the 1997 original film. The two actors met while shooting the first movie in their early 20s. Making it full circle, the couple was on the set together for this new film in Australia last year, when Prinze Jr. was working and Gellar was visiting.

Hewitt’s character Julie James makes a triumphant final girl return towards the end of the trailer. Seemingly on a busy college campus, she turns around to ask Chase Sui Wonders’ character, “I just have one question: What did you do last summer?” The trailer doesn’t show any footage of Hewitt and Prinze Jr. in a scene together, but fans can hope!

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Different Victims, Same Secret

What’s old is new again in this Sony legacy sequel, or “legacyquel.” From the story’s setting (Southport, North Carolina), to the inciting incident (young friends hit someone with their car and try to cover it up), and the vengeful stalker’s costume (a dark fisherman’s slicker), horror lovers are happy to experience déjà vu in this case. The franchise’s signature weapon, a big pointy hook, of course gets its closeup in both the trailer and the film’s first official poster.

The recurring imagery doesn’t stop there: Madelyn Cline’s character opens a card with the title message “I know what you did last summer” scrawled inside (just like Hewitt’s character did in 1997); Tyriq Withers’ character stands shirtless in a steamy, and dangerous, gym shower (like Ryan Phillippe‘s character in the original); and Gabbriette’s character tries to escape the attacker on an old hand operated elevator (matching a scene with Gellar’s character). Hewitt recently told People about the sequel, saying, “There’s lots of ’90s in there, so get excited because the ’90s are back again!”

It’s obvious from these visuals and more that director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and her screenwriters are big fans of the original. Robinson, who previously directed Gellar in the film “Do Revenge,” told People in early April, “We approached it like super fans, so I think people are going to be really happy. All the things that you want to see in this movie, you’re going to see in this movie.”

Robinson’s Scream Queen Casting Wish List

Robinson also just told Entertainment Weekly who else she wanted in this film: her other “Do Revenge” actors Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes. “I actually tried to get Maya Hawke, and we couldn’t work it out with schedules.” Mendes was hired to be in the film last summer, but had to exit the project due to her demanding schedule with another film reboot, “Masters of the Universe.” She was replaced by Wonders. Robinson tried “relentlessly” to have Gellar return as her 1997 character, but Gellar adamantly declined because (spoiler) her character died after an iconic chase scene.

As for Brandy Norwood, whose character Karla (spoiler) survived the events of the 1998 sequel “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” Robinson simply teased to People, “You’ll have to go see the movie.” Last summer, Norwood showed interest in returning and had told The Hollywood Reporter, “I need them to give me a call!” That soundbite sent shockwaves through the horror community, so cross your fingers we see at least a cameo from her in the new film out July 18th, 2025.