I Know What You Did Last Summer
Summary
The upcomingI Know What You Did Last Summerlegacy sequel is starting to take shape, but if one character returns, the movie will be risking repeatingScream 7s Final Girl problem.
The horror genre continues to seize the wave of reboots and legacy sequels, and the latest franchise joining it isI Know What You Did Last Summer.
Almost two decades after a failed direct-to-video sequel and four years after a TV series adaptation, theI Know What You Did Last Summerfranchise is coming back to life in 2025 with a legacy sequel, to be directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
Back in 1997,I Know What You Did Last Summerintroduced the audience to Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Barry Cox (Ryan Phillippe), who, a year after accidentally running over a man and getting rid of the body, begin to be stalked by a mysterious man wearing a fishermans coat and a hook.
Julie and Ray returned inI Still Know What You Did Last Summerthe following year and once again survived, so theyre expected to return in the fourth movie, but that would repeatScream 7s biggest problem.
The sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer is already getting the previous movies wrong, risking repeating the mistakes of the TV series.
Custom image by Simone Ashmoore.
Julies Return In I Know What You Did Last Summer 4 Is More Likely After Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Comments
I Know What You Did Last Summer’s Legacy Sequel Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Julie
Hewitt added that theres power in being older and that Julie wouldnt be vulnerable anymore like she was in the past movies.
Althoughthe cast forI Know What You Did Last Summer 4hasnt been confirmed,Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are said to be in talks to reprise their rolesas Julie and Ray after all, they are the main survivors of the first two movies, and the second one saw them back together again, either engaged or already married.
Speaking toETin May 2024,Hewitt saidI Know What You Did Last Summer 4is in the cooker, and though she didnt confirm her returnshe expressed her excitement at the possibility of playing Julie one more time.
Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore
Hewitt added that theres power in being older and that Julie wouldnt be vulnerable anymore like she was in the past movies, citing her own experience as a mother as part of that power.
Over 20 years have passed since the audience last saw Julie and Ray, soits fair to assume they will have a family now, whether together or with other partners.
Julie returning inI Know What You Did Last Summer 4would make her a target and put her family at risk, which is the same issue Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) will face inScream 7.
Julies Return In I Know What You Did Last Summer 4 Shares Sidneys Family Problem In Scream 7
Sidneys Return In Scream 7 Is A Lot Riskier Than It Seems
Although plot details aboutScream 7remain unknown, its rumored to see the new Ghostface targeting Sidney and her family.
Scream 7went through a major shakeup withMelissa Barreras firing, Jenna Ortega dropping out, and director Christopher Landon also leaving the project, but its back on track with franchise creator Kevin Williamson as director and Neve Campbell back as Sidney.
Campbell had a minor role inScream(2022), in which she returned to Woodsboro to help Gale (Courteney Cox), Dewey (David Arquette), Sam (Barrera), and Tara (Ortega) stop the new Ghostface killers.
Campbell didnt return inScream 6due to salary disputes, and thoughplot details aboutScream 7remain unknown, its rumored to see the new Ghostface targeting Sidney and her family.
Julies return inI Know What You Did Last Summer 4would face the same issue, putting her family in great danger and ruining the happy ending she already had with Ray.
Scream 7is rumored to feature a time jumpso Sidneys kids can have an active role in the story, whichruins her return as Sidney had already been given a happy ending.Scream2022 revealed Sidney is now a mother, and Gale mentioned inScream 6that she, her husband Mark (Patrick Dempsey inScream 3), and their kids had moved to a safe place, so she was finally given the peace she deserved after years of torment.
Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore
Julies return inI Know What You Did Last Summer 4would face the same issue, putting her family in great danger and ruining the happy ending she already had with Ray.
Its worth noting thatI Still Know What You Did Last Summerended on one final jumpscare as the deceased Ben Willis appeared underneath Julies bed and pulled her under it, but this will have to be retconned inI Know What You Did Last Summer 4if Julie returns.
A couple of details about the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel were revealed, showing that it’s already repeating two horror requel mistakes.
Julies Return In I Know What You Did Last Summer 4 Makes 2025s Horror Legacy Sequels Battle More Interesting
I Know What You Did Last Summer 4 vs Scream 7
This battle will be revived in 2025 with the release ofScream 7andI Know What You Did Last Summer 4, and it will be made more exciting and interesting if Julie returns.
The 1990s saw the resurgence of the slasher genre, withScreamandI Know What You Did Last Summerbeing key to its popularity.Screamis credited with revitalizing the genre, whichI Know What You Did Last Summerabsolutely seized.
Despite not being able to matchScreams positive critical reception,I Know What You Did Last Summerwas a box office hit and became quite popular, thus contributing to revitalizing the slasher genre in the 1990s.
I Know What You Did Last Summerwas released less than two months beforeScream 2, creating a fun rivalry between them that divided the audience to decide which was the defining slasher of the decade.
This battle will be revived in 2025 with the release ofScream 7andI Know What You Did Last Summer 4, and it will be made more exciting and interesting if Julie returns.2025 will most likely see the two main Final Girls of the 1990sin their long-awaited returns to their franchises and with similar storylines, defining which slasher franchise will win in the era of legacy sequels.
Source:ET.
Announced in early 2023, I Know What You Did Last Summer is getting a new sequel from director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and writer Lead McKendrick with Jennifer Love Hewitt.
The film will be a direct sequel to the 1997 horror film, ignoring the subsequent sequels and starting a new timeline.
