Sony is pulling back the curtain on the new I Know What You Did Last Summer was directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson using a screenplay she co-wrote with Sam Lansky from a story by Robinson and Leah McKendrick.

To kick off this year's CinemaCon, which ScreenRant is attending, Sony revealed a new trailer for the I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot. The trailer opened on a couple being targeted by a hook-wielding killer, though the culprit switches weapons midway through, also utilizing a spear gun. After the rest of the new cast is seen in peril, Ray and Julie both appear, speaking one line of dialogue apiece that references the previous goings-on in Southport. Check out the full description of the trailer, which is not yet available online, below:

The trailer opens on a couple in a house, with the girl going upstairs to draw a bath. The guy is back downstairs, cleaning up the kitchen. He hears something outside, but doesn’t see anything, then goes back inside… and gets stabbed by a hook. The killer then shoots him with a spear gun and drags him across the floor. We see a “Welcome to Southport” sign. What follows is several shots of the new cast in peril situations, and then a foggy window with the written text, “You’re next.” “This isn't the first time there’s been violence like this in Southport,” Ray says at a town hall. “I just have one question… what did you do last summer?” asks Julie.

What This Means For I Know What You Did Last Summer

The Sequel Is Keeping The Legacy Alive

Julie James screaming in front of Ben Willis from I Know What You Did Last Summer
Custom image by Brennan Klein

This trailer description reveals that I Know What You Did Last Summer is a true legacy sequel in a number of ways. The first is the cast. While the story is largely centered on a new crop of young characters played by a robust ensemble that includes Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, Chase Sui Wonders, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Austin Nichols, Gabbriette, and Outer Banks star Madelyn Cline, the fact that Ray and Julie are given important moments highlights the new installment's major connection to the original movie and its 1998 sequel.

Prinze Jr. and Hewitt both reprised their roles in 1998's I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, though they did not return for 2006's I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.

However, there are even more important threads connecting the new teen horror movie to its predecessor. While the location being the real-life North Carolina town Southport is another important callback, one that's more subtle is the killer's use of a spear gun. It makes sense that the new movie would switch up the killer's M.O. in some way, but the fact that he uses a spear gun still connects the new killer to the original movie's Ben Willis (Muse Watson), because his entire persona as a murderer was themed around Southport's fishing industry.

Our Take On The I Know What You Did Last Summer Trailer

The Movie Still Needs To Differentiate Itself

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Julie James and Freddie Prinze Jr as Ray Bronson looking shocked on a boat in I Know What You Did Last Summer

Already, this trailer description hints at ways that the new I Know What You Did Last Summer movie will differentiate itself from the original in some ways, though it still pays homage to its key elements. This will most likely prove to be important, as the recently released plot synopsis reveals that the storyline is almost exactly the same as the original, following a group of teenagers attempting to cover up a deadly car accident. The movie will likely need to have a lot of differences in its minutiae in order to stand out.

Source: Sony

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I Know What You Did Last Summer
Release Date
July 18, 2025
Runtime
100 minutes
Director
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Writers
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Sam Lansky
Producers
Neal H. Moritz
  • headshot Of Madelyn Cline
    Madelyn Cline
    Danica Richards
  • Headshot oF Chase Sui Wonders
    Chase Sui Wonders
    Ava Brucks
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Jonah Hauer-King
    Milo Griffin
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Tyriq Withers
    Teddy Spencer

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025): This thriller features five friends who, after causing a fatal accident, vow to keep it secret. A year later, they face terrifying retribution as a mysterious killer stalks them, prompting them to seek assistance from survivors of the infamous Southport Massacre of 1997.