Everything to Know About the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Movie

Slasher films are having their resurgence, and there can't be a slasher film comeback without the iconic I Know What You Did Last Summer. The 1997 film, directed by Jim Gillespie, is finally having a sequel 28 years after the cult classic cemented itself in cinema history. 

The pop culture phenomenon received a prequel film in 2008 titled I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, and now, after years in the making, filmmakers are giving fans what they were promised: a sequel. Sequels rarely receive the same praise as original works, and they seldom outperform the originals, but everything about this follow-up film has fans excited and itching to get their seats in the theater. 

The 1997 classic is centered on four teenage friends who are sent ominously cryptic notes from a hook-wielding killer, a year after they covered up a hit-and-run, resulting in the death of a fisherman. Julie James, portrayed by Jennifer Love Hewitt, was the one who received the mysterious note revealing that someone witnessed the crime and knows about their cover-up. After reconvening to discuss the events and the letter, Barry William Cox, played by Ryan Phillippe, has his suspicions about who sent the note, and he decides to pursue his lead, but is run over in the process by the hook killer. All bets are off as the killing escalates and the hook killer continues to stalk and torment Julie, Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.). 

For the sequel, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are reprising their roles as Julie and Ray, and there are new characters with familiar faces that will be introduced into the cult classic universe. Below, learn more about the I Know What You Did Last Summer movie, including details on the cast, plot, and release date.

What Is the 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Sequel About?

The 2025 film, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, is a continuation of the 1997 film, not a reboot. The premise of the sequel is similar, except that it follows five new characters and is set 28 years after the events in the original movie. The friend group is involved in a crime cover-up after a hit-and-run incident kills a pedestrian, and a year later, mysterious letters reveal that someone knows their secret and seeks revenge. They seek out guidance from the two survivors of the Southport Massacre of 1997, Julie (Love Hewitt) and Ray (Prinze Jr.). 

Who Is in the Cast of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'? 

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are reprising their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson from the original film and welcoming a new generation of characters to the slasher film's universe. Joining the '90s icons are L'OFFICIEL's former cover star Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Lola Tung, Tyriq Withers, Austin Nichols, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez. 

When Does 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Hit Theaters? 

The nostalgic throwback approaches as the film will release in theaters during the summertime, of course, on July 18, 2025. Be prepared to get your tickets and go back to Southport for another thrilling ride.