Jennifer Love Hewitt’s return to I Know What You Did Last Summer sparked by ‘love’ of franchise

Jennifer Love Hewitt’s return to I Know What You Did Last Summer came down to a deep “love” of the horror franchise.

The 45-year-old actress is reprising her role as Julie James nearly 30 years after first appearing in the iconic teen slasher, and has now credited the new film’s creative team with bringing the franchise back with a lot of heart.

She told Variety of director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and co-writer Sam Lansky: “What was very apparent from the word ‘Go’ is how much both of them loved the original movie.

“I feel like, if you’re going to go back and make something new but pay homage to an original, you have to love it. You have to understand it.

“So, I was just blown away and it meant a lot to me.”

The new instalment, set for release in 2025, follows a fresh group of teenagers in Southport, North Carolina, who are stalked by a copycat killer after a deadly accident.

Jennifer’s character Julie is contacted by the young group and asked for help – drawing her and fellow survivor Ray Bronson, played by 48-year-old Freddie Prinze Jr., back into the chaos of their past.

Jennifer last played Julie in the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

She was not involved in the 2006 direct-to-video follow-up or the 2021 reboot series.

Kaytin and Sam offered a different approach, directly continuing the storyline of the original 1997 film.

The creative team behind the project involved Jennifer in shaping Julie’s character in the present day – a trauma expert and professor, recently divorced from Ray and determined never to return to Southport. The actress added: “They allowed space for me to know her better than anyone, which was so kind because they didn’t have to do that.

“I felt very seen as somebody who had created her the first time.”

Julie plays a major role in the second and third acts of the film, mentoring Ava = played by Chase Sui Wonders – and helps to unmask two killers.

The film also brings back Brandy Norwood as Karla, Julie’s college roommate from I Still Know, in a surprise credits scene teasing yet another chapter in the series.