Freddie Prinze Jr. officially joins the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel. The first film was released in 1997 during a resurgence in slasher horror spearheaded by Wes Craven’s Scream, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillipe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar as teens stalked by a hook-wielding killer. The latest I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel was first announced in early 2023 with Hewitt and Prinze Jr. in early negotiations to return and reprise their roles.
Now, one of those original actors is officially returning for the sequel. According to a report from Deadline, Freddie Prinze Jr. has signed on to reprise his role as Ray Bronson in the upcoming sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer. However, Jennifer Love Hewitt reportedly remains in negotiations to reprise her role as Julie James.
What Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Return Means For The I Know What You Did Last Summer Sequel
Jennifer Love Hewitt Should Be The Next Domino To Fall
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt were reportedly in negotiations for the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel when it was first announced in early 2023. The two starred in the original 1997 slasher and after their characters survived, they returned for the 1998 sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Subsequent installments haven’t featured any of the original cast, including the 2006 direct-to-video sequel, I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer, and Prime Video’s I Know What You Did Last Summer TV series, which was canceled after one season.
The latest update indicates that Prinze’s negotiations have finally come to an end, and he is officially returning for the upcoming sequel. However, Hewitt’s negotiations are still ongoing, and her status appears to be up in the air, but it’s unlikely that one original star would return without the other, so Prinze’s return could be the push needed to motivate the two sides to get a deal done. At the very least, Prinze’s return means the upcoming sequel will have one original star at the very minimum, unlike the last two installments in the franchise.
Our Take On Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Return In The I Know What You Did Last Summer Sequel
The Legacy Sequel Is Combining New & Original Stars
Since it was first announced in early 2023, it was apparent that the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel was drawing inspiration from another recent slasher reboot, 2022’s Scream, by featuring a combination of returning original cast members and new talent. The sequel has already cast its new young stars in Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Haur-King. Now, with Freddie Prinze Jr. officially returning, the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel is one step closer to bringing both of its original stars back.
The sequel is set for release on July 18, 2025.
Source: Deadline
