The 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' sequel sees Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt reprise their roles from the 1997 original movie as a new group of young friends are pursued by a hook-wielding killer one year after their involvement in a tragic car accident. Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Prinze Jr. and the new young cast spoke to The Hollywood Reporter's Tiffany Taylor all about the forthcoming slasher film. 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' hits theaters this summer on July 18th.
00:00Basically, everyone said that I had been really naive and earnest and that I should have seen through it from the beginning.
00:06No, it was too good to be true.
00:08Maybe it's for the best. That sounds like it could be the start of its own horror movie.
00:11No, you have a point.
00:14The I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel sees Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt reprise their roles from the 1997 original movie,
00:21as a new group of young friends are pursued by a hook-wielding killer one year after their involvement in a tragic car accident.
00:26Director and co-writer Jennifer Caten Robinson, Prinze Jr. and the new young cast spoke to The Hollywood Reporter all about the forthcoming slasher film.
00:35The cops are not going to help us.
00:39Then we'll find someone who will.
00:42It isn't something I like talking about.
00:45The original movie marked one of Prinze Jr.'s first major film credits and helped launch his acting career.
00:50But the experience changed his life in more ways than one.
00:53He also met his now-wife of over 20 years, Sarah Michelle Gellar, on set.
00:57What was it like returning to Southport and to this role of Ray so many years later?
01:02There's a lot of pressure, so it can be nerve-wracking at certain times when you're thinking about,
01:06am I going to actually go and do this, you know?
01:09During pre-production, I think, was the most pressure that I felt because we weren't out there actually doing it yet.
01:15And then once we were out there in Australia and started filming and then the Los Angeles stuff as well,
01:20all of a sudden it got more exciting.
01:22But both feelings still existed at the same time, but one was just a little stronger in the beginning of the movie
01:27and one was stronger while we were doing it.
01:29But the opportunities that I get in this film are dream opportunities that I've wanted my whole career, my whole life.
01:37So in that regard, a lot more excitement than pressure, but pressure definitely exists.
01:43Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love-Hewitt, of course, returned for this movie.
01:46What was their presence like on set?
01:49Really surreal.
01:50Iconic.
01:50Amazing.
01:51Yeah.
01:51They're such incredible people and they match that with their talent.
01:58And yeah, it felt really, really special to be able to be in this film with them.
02:01Freddie's such a stand-up gentleman and he's just so calm and passionate about not only the movie, but also his family.
02:10And I think that's inspiring to see.
02:13It was so sweet seeing them all together.
02:15Yeah.
02:16And Jennifer Love is like the sweetest human being ever.
02:20And her bringing back this character and how warm she has been to all of us is really special.
02:26You can't run.
02:27You can't hide.
02:29Get them.
02:31Before they get you.
02:32The young cast of this film is so talented and really highly sought after right now from hit TV shows to major movies.
02:39How did you go about casting the young leads in this movie?
02:42I mean, it was a process.
02:43A lot of people read.
02:45I met with a lot of people because it wasn't just about finding the people to play the individual roles.
02:50It really is about the chemistry.
02:51It's about bringing these five, six, including Gabrielle, people together and wanting that chemistry to leap off the screen in the way that it did in the first I Know What You Did Last Summer.
03:00So it was definitely a process.
03:02But I feel very, very, very lucky with where we ended up.
03:06Yeah.
03:06If you look at Jen's history in casting, it's beyond solid.
03:10I mean, if you watch Do Revenge and watch a cast interact, and we were already friends before we made this movie.
03:16And when she told me she was going to do it and was pitching me the idea, the first thing I said when I went home to Sarah, besides telling her about the big swings that the movie takes, was, I can't wait to see who she casts in this movie.
03:26Because I just think you're casting so next level.
03:29And it's just every single person just sort of fits in there perfectly.
03:32Like when you play Operation perfectly and you don't hit the sides even once.
03:36Nobody plays Operation anymore.
03:38But the old people will know what I'm talking about.
03:39Yeah, the buzzer.
03:40The buzzer.
03:40Yeah.
03:41Exactly.
03:42One of us is hiding something.
03:47On screen, you spend a lot of time screaming and crying and running from a murderer.
03:56When you were off set, what did you do to decompress and keep things light?
04:00Screaming, crying.
04:01Screaming, crying, running from murderers.
04:03Having nightmares.
04:05Yeah.
04:05We went to the beach a lot.
04:06We went to the beach a lot.
04:07Yeah, shooting in Sydney, Australia.
04:08The ocean is very healing.
04:10Yeah.
04:10Jonah recruited me for his paddle team.
04:13Yeah, yeah.
04:13Oh, yeah.
04:14Jonah and I played a lot of tennis.
04:15Chase is so sport.
04:16Yeah, we played tennis.
04:18We played paddle.
04:19Yeah.
04:19Tennis.
04:19Some pool.
04:20That was fun.
04:21Played pool.
04:22Tyreek took on some local lads.
04:24Yeah.
04:25At the pub.
04:26Beat the...
04:26At the what?
04:27At the pub.
04:27At the pub.
04:28We went to an Olivia Rodrigo concert.
04:31Yeah.
04:31Melted out the lyrics.
04:32I'm obsessed with her.
04:33Amazing.
04:34Maddie had a birthday while we were there and I tried to organize something.
04:38Oh, my God.
04:38And it fell apart because the person that was helping me catfish me.
04:42And I tried to...
04:44I tried to do something really outlandish.
04:46And it failed.
04:47I basically tried to, like, get us a boat to take us out for the day for her birthday.
04:52And then the person that organized it just disappeared.
04:55They ghosted you, right?
04:57Yeah.
04:57And then they came out with some weird messages about someone else that had taken it.
05:01And basically, everyone said that I had been really naive and earnest and that I should
05:06have seen through it from the beginning.
05:07It was too good to be true.
05:09Maybe it's for the best.
05:10That sounds like it could be the start of its own horror movie.
05:13No.
05:13It's true.
05:14You have a point.
05:16The Fisherman.
05:17You were texting The Fisherman.
05:18Yeah.
05:19So true.
05:19I Know What You Did Last Summer hits theaters this summer on July 18th.
05:24For more on the new film, go to THR.com.
05:27For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
05:29I Know What You Did Last Summer hits theaters this summer on July 18th.
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