I Know What You Did Last Summer Trailer Brings Back the Iconic Slasher Franchise with a Modern Edge
Sony Pictures has unveiled the first official trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer, a legacy sequel to the iconic 1997 slasher film and its 1998 follow-up, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and set for a theatrical release on July 18, 2025, this third installment in the franchise already promises a brutal, modern reinvention of the hook-wielding Fisherman’s reign of terror.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) | Sony Pictures
A Legacy Sequel with a Modern Twist
The trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer maintains previous continuity (RIP Helen Shivers), though, this new chapter closely mirrors the original’s premise with the introduction of a new generation of characters: five friends who, after inadvertently causing a deadly car accident, cover up their crime and swear secrecy. A year later, they’re stalked by a vengeful killer who knows their secret, echoing the chilling premise that made the 1997 film a cultural touchstone.
What sets this sequel apart, as highlighted by director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson in interviews, is its heightened brutality and contemporary flair. The trailer delivers on this promise, opening with a harrowing sequence featuring Madelyn Cline’s character in a meditative bath, unaware of a cloaked killer dispatching her boyfriend (Joshua Orpin) downstairs with a hook and a speargun. It’s a moment that sets a tone of unrelenting dread with a dash of campy self-awareness—serving as the perfect formula for a modern slasher.
Returning Characters
A major draw of the trailer for longtime fans is the return of franchise veterans Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James and Freddie Prinze Jr. as Ray Bronson, reprising their roles for the first time in 27 years. Their inclusion positions the film as a “passing of the torch” sequel, akin to recent revivals like Scream (2022) or Halloween (2018).
The trailer showcases their characters as survivors of the 1997 Southport Massacre, now potentially mentoring the new cast as they face a familiar threat. Prinze Jr.’s Ray appears at a town hall, declaring, “This isn’t the first time there’s been violence like this in Southport,” while Hewitt’s Julie delivers the appropriate line, “I just have one question… what did you do last summer?”, underscoring Sony’s intent to honor the franchise’s legacy.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) | Sony Pictures
A New Star-Studded Ensemble
The trailer introduces a robust ensemble of rising stars, led by Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Tyriq Withers (Atlanta), and Sarah Pidgeon (Tiny Beautiful Things). Supporting players include Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Lola Tung, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, with Joshua Orpin as the ill-fated boyfriend in the trailer. The trailer’s montage of peril—featuring foggy windows scrawled with “You’re next” and frantic chases through Southport—suggests each of the new actors will have a moment to shine.
A Gory, Methodical Fisherman
The trailer’s violence marks a departure from the original’s restraint. While the 1997 film relied on suspense and implied horror, Robinson has crafted a Fisherman with a methodology to every kill. The opening sequence in the trailer sees the killer wield both a hook and a speargun, dragging a victim across the floor in a gruesome display. This aligns with Robinson’s vision of a “popcorn summer event” that doesn’t shy away from gore, a stark contrast to the relatively bloodless original. The trailer’s pacing, with quick cuts of slashing hooks and panicked screams, also suggests a body count that will keep audiences on edge.
The Fisherman’s iconic imagery—cloaked figure, gleaming hook—remains intact, as seen in the official poster released in March 2025, which features the hook dripping with blood against a stormy seaside backdrop. However, this time, they’ve covered the killer’s face, allowing for more mystery as well as high-stakes chase sequences.
Get Ready for a Bloodbath THis July
Essentially, the official trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer is exactly what we wanted—combining plenty of nostalgia with innovation. By resurrecting Julie James and Ray Bronson, introducing a dynamic new cast, and amplifying the Fisherman’s brutality, we’re ready to witness the terror for ourselves when it carves its way into theaters on July 18, 2025.
