The following contains spoilers for I Know What You Did Last Summer, now playing in theatersI Know What You Did Last Summer‘s most surprising cameo is a very effective call-back to the original movie. I Know What You Did Last Summer is the latest horror legacy sequel to bring back an older generation of scary movie survivors to help guide a new cast through their own encounter with a lethal murderer. For the most part, the legacy characters operate on the sidelines (at least until the film’s surprise twist ending).

While I Know What You Did Last Summer‘s post-credits scene brings back another familiar face for fans of the franchise, the film’s best cameo is actually from one of the stars of the original movie. Reprising their role for a single memorable sequence, they get the chance to confront their modern successor. It’s one of the highlights of the film, playing into the movie’s overarching themes while also being a treat for fans of the original who never thought they’d see this character again.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Cameo In I Know What You Did Last Summer Explained

Being ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Doesn’t Stop Helen From Making A Comeback

I Know What You Did Last Summer‘s big Sarah Michelle Gellar cameo brings back Helen Shivers for a memorable scene with Madelyn Cline’s Danica. Danica is one of the main characters of the new film, filling the “popular blonde” archetype that Helen played in the original film.

After barely escaping death, Helen has a nightmare where she’s in an auditorium and sees a woman on stage. Turning around, this woman is revealed to be Helen. The former beauty queen mocks Danica and pokes fun at her own age, as well as their connection.

The dream takes a darker turn as Danica reveals her fear of dying, something Helen mocks her for, eve as her body begins to transform into a corpse. This prompts Danica to wake up with a start, returning the focus to the real world and their efforts to escape the mysterious killer.

Why Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Cameo Is So Surprising

Fans Weren’t Expecting To See Helen Come Back

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s cameo in I Know What You Did Last Summer is an unexpected treat for longtime fans of the franchise, bringing back one of the most iconic characters in the series. Like Brandy’s return as Karla in I Know What You Did Last Summer‘s post-credits scene, it reaffirms the connection between the films.

However, the cameo is a lot more surprising given the ways Gellar had been denying it. While I Know What You Did Last Summer director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson had teased that Karla would at least be referenced in the film, there was no indication that Gellar would reappear. Her character dying in the original film lent further credence to her continued absence.

Robinson openly spoke about pitching Gellar on a return to the series, suggesting that Robinson and her co-writer Sam Lansky had failed to get her back for the follow-up. Instead, this seems to have been a fake-out to keep audiences from guessing that Gellar would return.

This is also only the most recent example of Sarah Michelle Gellar stepping back into the horror roles that established her as a star. Gellar is also set to reprise her role as Buffy Summers for the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival, highlighting her previous roles for a new generation..

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Cameo Is One Of The Best Parts Of 2025’s I Know What You Did Last Summer

Helen’s Return Plays Into The Themes Of The New I Know What You Did Last Summer

What makes the Sarah Michelle Gellar cameo in I Know What You Did Last Summer so memorable is how effective the scene is. The scene is one of the more quietly dramatic beats in the film, focusing on Danica’s state of mind.

Most of I Know What You Did Last Summer alternates between the self-aware approach to slasher films and a more dramatic story about trauma. Danica’s scene with Helen leans heavily into the latter. While Gellar gets some good jokes in during the scene, there’s a real sense of dread as she mocks Danica.

Helen serves as a real warning for Danica, having lived a similar life only to have it cut short by the killer. It plays into the film’s themes of trauma, with Danica hoping to escape the kind of horrors that killed Helen years prior.

While there are more concrete connections between the original film and the legacy sequel, thanks to characters like Julie and Ray, this scene serves as a really clever thematic connection. It comments on the nature of archetypes in horror movies, with Danica openly fearing she’ll meet the same fate as Helen.

For her part, Helen adds a real sense of drama to the moment, casually and sardonically calling out Danica and underscoring her fear by calling her death an inevitability. For a movie rooted in ideas of trauma and PTSD, it’s a clever way to thread that connection between past traumas and new fears.

I Know What You Did Last Summer creates plenty of threads between the previous films and a new generation, but the most effective thematic one is the scene between Danica and Helen. It’s a treat for fans, similar to Karla’s return, but one that fits neater into I Know What You Did Last Summer‘s themes and story.