The director of the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot explains why one original cast member did not appear. The slasher horror franchise returns this year, as a new group of friends is stalked by a hook-wielding killer who knows about a dark secret from their past. This installment is directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.

The reboot’s cast is full of a lot of new faces. This includes Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Hauer-King. However, the I Know What You Did Last Summer cast also includes Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt returning to their lead roles, as well as some surprise cameos.

Now, Robinson explains to People why Ryan Phillippe did not return in I Know What You Did Last Summer. The writer-director explained that including Phillippe’s character “just got to be too much,” so Barry Cox was relegated to a shoutout.

However, she did say that “there is a very fun way to integrate Ryan into a sequel.” Check out the full quote from Robinson below:

It just got to be too much. We have a Barry Cox mention. He gets a shout-out. But, yeah, it started to feel like too many ideas. But it is not for a lack of love of Ryan — he is amazing. And I do think there is a very fun way to integrate Ryan into a sequel that I hope happens.

What This Means For I Know What You Did Last Summer

The Second Film Needs To Be Made For Barry To Return

Barry Cox’s relegation to name-drop only is a somewhat unexpected facet of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Though not everyone was featured in the promotional material, several original cast members came back for the movie.

The reboot is full of references to the original, so it makes sense why Robinson would’ve come up with an idea for Phillippe to return. Had there been room, he could’ve very well appeared in a dream sequence, or even some kind of de-aged flashback. He could also return in the future, though this is contingent upon whether the movie actually gets awarded a sequel.

So far, the prospect of more movies is decent. I Know What You Did Last Summer made $13 million in its domestic opening, which is almost as much as the original did in the same timeframe. If it continues its momentum, it could be considered a successful legacy sequel, especially since its budget is a mere $18 million.

Our Take On Barry Cox’s Return To I Know What You Did Last Summer

The 2025 Film Had Enough Going On As Is

It makes sense why Robinson would fear the slasher becoming too overstuffed. Already, the film shows a fraught relationship between Ray and Julie, two of the original characters. It needed ample time to unpack their story.

I Know What You Did Last Summer had to manage this, all while fleshing out its new characters. This is a delicate balance to strike and indeed could have felt overwhelming with Barry included. If all goes well with the movie’s run, however, we could see more from Phillippe in this rebooted horror series.

Source: People