'I Know What You Did Last Summer' promises fresh thrills as Jennifer Love Hewitt returns

More than two decades after the original gave 90s teens sleepless nights, I Know What You Did Last Summer is getting a direct sequel and yes, the hook-wielding killer is back.

The story picks up with a new group of five friends who find themselves in familiar and deadly territory. After a tragic accident, they decide to keep quiet, hoping the past will stay buried. But it doesn’t. A year later, someone clearly knows their secret and is out for revenge. One by one, they’re being hunted and they soon realise they’re not the first to go through this.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Enter Julie James and Ray Bronson, the original survivors from the 1997 bloodbath in Southport. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr return to the roles that defined a generation of slasher flicks. In one tense moment from the trailer, Julie confronts a new character played by Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline and asks, “What did you do last summer?” It's more than just a line. In fact, it’s the exact moment old and new timelines collide.

This time, there are nods to the original for long-time fans including a brief shot of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s character’s grave but the scares have evolved. Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson says this new film isn’t just riding on plain nostalgia. It leans harder into the horror. “There’s more method to the madness,” she said. “It’s gorier, darker, and more deliberate.”

Robinson co-wrote the screenplay with Sam Lansky, building on a story first developed with Leah McKendrick. The cast includes rising stars like Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, Lola Tung, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez. While Brandy, who survived the 1998 sequel, hasn't been confirmed, fans are hoping for a surprise return.

Originally released in 1997 and based on Lois Duncan’s novel, the franchise helped define the teen horror boom. This upcoming instalment, out 18 July, aims to do the same for a new generation.

It’s not just about reliving old nightmares but about creating new ones. And if the trailer is any hint, no secret stays buried forever.