I Know What You Did Last Summer: What we know About the Thrilling 2025 Sequel
The long-awaited return of I Know What You Did Last Summer just got a whole lot more real—Sony has finally dropped the official trailer, and it’s everything fans hoped for and more. With chilling new visuals and the iconic hook-wielding killer back in action, the legacy of Southport is about to be reborn.
The trailer gives us a glimpse of the fresh cast tangled in secrets, while the original scream royalty, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., step back into the nightmare. It’s dark, nostalgic, and brimming with blood-soaked suspense.
This isn’t just a reboot—it’s a full-circle moment nearly three decades in the making. The trailer reveals cryptic clues, eerie graveyard shots, and spine-tingling lines like, “What did you do last summer?” that hit harder when spoken by someone who’s survived it all before. Franchise fans will spot haunting callbacks, while newcomers are thrown headfirst into a mystery soaked in guilt, danger, and deadly secrets.
Ready to dive into everything you need to know—from returning cast to shocking new twists and more? We've gathered every juicy detail and chilling reveal that’s surfaced so far. And trust us—what’s coming this summer might just change everything you thought you knew about the franchise. Keep checking back—we’re updating this as soon as more secrets rise from the deep.
Release date & Where to Watch
I Know What You Did Last Summer is set to be released in U.S. theaters on Friday, July 18, 2025, by Sony Pictures Releasing.
What is the plot of I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) film?
In this summer’s legacy sequel, a group of five friends are haunted by a deadly secret. After causing a tragic car accident, they cover it up and make a pact to stay silent. A year later, their past resurfaces in the most terrifying way when they realize someone knows what they did… and is hell-bent on revenge.
“One by one the friends are stalked by a killer,” reads the official synopsis. “They discover this has happened before, and they turn to two survivors of the legendary Southport Massacre of 1997 for help.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their iconic roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson from the 1997 original, guiding the new generation as they try to survive the nightmare. Like the original film, the teens are hunted by a mysterious figure — one who clearly knows their secret and won’t stop until justice, or vengeance, is served.
Talking about nostalgic callbacks and easter eggs in the film, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson told People, "There's lots of '90s in there, so get excited because the '90s are back again! And there's lots of twists and turns. I don't think people are going to expect anything that's coming. It's a really fun ride."
She added, “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.”
Who’s Starring in the I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) Movie?
- Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks) as Danica
- Freddie Prinze Jr. as Ray Bronson
- Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James
- Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies) as Eva
- Gabbriette Bechtel as Tyler
- Romeo V. Castle as Tourist
- Hayley Gia Hughes as Bridal Party Friend
- Nicole Chapman as Karina
- Carolyn Dante as Reporter
- Juan Bianchi as Tourist
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as uncredited photograph of Helen Shivers
- Sarah Pidgeon (The Wilds)
- Tyriq Withers (Him)
- Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid)
- Lola Tung
- Nicholas Alexander Chavez
- Billy Campbell
- Austin Nichols
- Todd Giebenhain
Is There a Trailer for the I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) film?
The trailer for the new I Know What You Did Last Summer movie wastes no time diving into its slasher roots — and this time, the terror starts in a bathtub.
Madelyn Cline’s character is introduced enjoying a peaceful, meditative soak, completely unaware that downstairs, her boyfriend is being brutally murdered by the franchise’s hook-handed killer, known only as The Fisherman. The trailer offers quick, ominous glimpses of the killer — a flash of his boots, a glint of his hook — just enough to spark dread in longtime fans.
Cline’s character responds later with a panicked realization, “Do you think this is some kind of karma for what we did?” It’s clear the new generation is caught in the same web of secrets and consequences — a fatal accident, a pact of silence, and a killer who doesn’t forget. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson, stepping back into the nightmare.
Ray’s ominous warning raises the stakes even higher, “This isn’t the first time there’s been violence like this in Southport. It’s not going to stop.” The trailer suggests the murders are more than personal — they’re part of a deadly cycle tied to the town’s history.
The trailer also nods to the original cast — a photo of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Helen Shivers is seen on a gravestone and briefly in a picture frame, teasing her lasting legacy even if the character is long gone. Fast cuts show the new group running for their lives, facing off against the masked killer, and trying to unravel why they’re being hunted.
In a tense moment, Julie turns to Cline’s character and asks coldly, “I just have one question… what did you do last summer?” The question hangs in the air like a threat, echoing the original film’s chilling premise. With legacy characters guiding them and past sins catching up fast, it’s clear this summer is anything but relaxing. Watch the official trailer below.
Is Sarah Michelle Gellar Coming back for this film?
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson revealed that made a playful attempt to include I Know What You Did Last Summer original Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose character Helen Shivers famously died.
She said, “I tried to pitch some crazy s--- too. I was like, ‘What if it’s like you weren’t dead and you’re actually alive, but in hiding?’” So, what did Gellar say to this idea? The actor retorted with- “I was on ice. I was the most dead a person could be. You can see my frozen body... I am dead. I am Sarah Dead Gellar.”
Robinson also admitted to trying to bring back Do Revenge star Maya Hawke for a cameo as well, but scheduling didn’t work out.
When & Where did I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) film?
Production kicked off in October 2024, with principal photography underway that same month in New South Wales, Australia, where Elisha Christian served as cinematographer. The shoot later moved to Los Angeles, continuing through February and March 2025, and officially wrapped on March 13, 2025 (via 4Filming).
Behind the Scenes
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson directs the upcoming slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer, which she co-wrote with Sam Lansky. The screenplay is based on a story Robinson developed with Leah McKendrick, and the film marks the fourth installment in the franchise, serving as a direct sequel to I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). It’s produced by Columbia Pictures and Original Film, with Neal H. Moritz returning as producer.
While this new entry continues the storyline of the 1997 and 1998 films, Robinson approached the project with fresh eyes. She told Entertainment Weekly: “Visually, for me, it was about going back to my biggest touchstone for this movie, Jaws. I want beautiful colors, beautiful setting, blue water, red blood.’ For me, it's kind of like a throwback, and what I hope is that it feels like it's fresh in its nostalgia."
Robinson emphasized that she didn’t want a “carbon copy” of past horror hits but rather something with its own identity, “I really wanted it to kind of stand on its own and have an identity visually. And I hope that that feels present in the film and makes people excited to see it,” she said.
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