A new behind-the-scenes image from the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel teases Jennifer Love Hewitt’s highly anticipated return as the series’ final girl. The 1997 cult-classic slasher, based on Lois Duncan’s novel, followed a group of teenagers haunted by a vengeful killer with a meat-hook for a hand. Despite lukewarm critical reception, it became a box office hit, spawning multiple sequels and a short-lived TV adaptation. Now, I Know What You Did Last Summer is getting a revival with a legacy sequel directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Sweet/Vicious, Thor: Love and Thunder).

In a post shared on Instagram, Hewitt holds up a letter addressed to Julie James, a nod to the chilling threat the final girl received in the original 1997 film. Production on the sequel officially began in December 2024, with a star-studded cast, including returning original actor Freddie Prinze Jr. as Ray. The I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel is slated for a summer 2025 release. You can find the image below:

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What Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Return Means

The Final Girl Moved To The Big City

The letter Hewitt holds to the camera is a callback to the original 1997 film when Julie finds an anonymous note a year after her and her friends’ accidental hit-and-run that states, “I know what you did last summer!” The letter’s address also reveals that Julie is now in Raleigh, North Carolina, instead of her original home in Southport. This change suggests a major shift in the film’s setting, potentially moving the horror from the quiet coastal town into a more densely populated city akin to Scream VI, where the Ghostface killings were relocated to New York City.

It’s unknown who exactly could be behind the letter Julie receives in the unтιтled sequel. Robinson has said that I Know What You Did Last Summer won’t ignore the previous movies, suggesting that the upcoming chapter will introduce a new antagonist after the original killer’s death in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. The sequel could take inspiration from the slasher genre by introducing a long-lost relative of Ben Willis, a copycat killer, or even a character from Julie and Ray’s past with a grudge of their own.

Our Take On Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Comeback

A New Final Girl, New Thrills, And A Fresh Urban Setting

Julie could find herself facing the killer in a new environment, creating fresh opportunities for suspenseful chases and brutal kills in densely populated areas (like Scream VI‘s subway kill). Yet, Prinze Jr. has already confirmed that neither he nor Hewitt will be the leads, raising questions about which of the younger characters will carry the torch as the final girl—and whether Julie and Ray will make it out alive. Hopefully, the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel distinguishes itself from other legacy sequels by letting Ray and Julie survive and take on mentor roles for the next generation.

Source: Jennifer Love Hewitt/Instagram