I Still Know What You Did Last Summer: Franchise & Sequel Guide

Anyone who grew up in the late ’90s remembers the dread of hearing “What are you waiting for?” before a hook-wielding fisherman appeared on screen. The 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer doubled down on that formula, sending Julie James and friends to a tropical island where the past refused to stay buried, and more than 25 years later the film remains a staple of slasher fandom ahead of a major 2025 revival.

Release date: November 13, 1998 ·
Budget: $25 million ·
Box office: $40 million ·
Running time: 100 minutes ·
MPAA rating: R ·
Rotten Tomatoes score: 35%

Nine key specs capture the essential details of the 1998 sequel, from its production budget to its critical reception.

Was there a 3rd I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Yes — a third film titled I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer was released on July 25, 2006, as a direct-to-DVD title (Wikipedia).

What is the third movie called?

The third installment is I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. It was produced with a completely different cast and no returning characters from the first two films (Wikipedia).

Is I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer a direct sequel?

Not exactly. The 2006 film is more of a standalone prequel-sequel hybrid. It features a new group of teenagers targeted by a copycat killer, but the connection to the original 1997 film is loose. The movie skips any reference to Julie James, Ray Bronson, or the original Ben Willis storyline (Rotten Tomatoes).

The catch: the direct-to-DVD entry essentially rebooted the franchise without fanfare — but it also marked the franchise’s dormant period until 2025.

Is there a 4th I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Yes — a fourth film is scheduled for release on July 18, 2025 (Harper’s Bazaar Australia).

When is the fourth film coming out?

The 2025 film — tentatively titled I Know What You Did Last Summer — hits theaters July 18, 2025, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and co-written with Sam Lansky (JH Movie Fandom).

Will it be a reboot or a sequel?

It’s being marketed as a “re-quel” — a sequel that honors the original continuity while introducing a new cast. The plot follows five friends who cover up a deadly car accident, then are stalked by a hook-wielding killer one year later (Rotten Tomatoes). The new group discovers the events link to the “legendary Southport Massacre of 1997” and seeks help from survivors Julie and Ray (Rotten Tomatoes).

The implication: the 2025 film is a legacy sequel in the mold of the Scream (2022) model — honoring canon while launching a new era.

Who was the killer in the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer movie?

The killer is revealed to be Will Benson, played by Matthew Settle (Wikipedia).

Is the killer Ben Willis again?

Not exactly. Ben Willis — the original fisherman from the first film — appears to be dead. However, the film uses his hook as the primary murder weapon, creating ambiguity. The climax reveals that the real killer is Will Benson, a friend of the protagonist who has been manipulating the group (Rotten Tomatoes).

How is the killer revealed?

The reveal happens in the third act when Julie and her friends corner Benson. He confesses to the murders, explaining that he wanted revenge on Julie for abandoning him and to claim the prize money from the radio contest that brought them to the Bahamas. Screenwriter Trey Callaway noted in DVD commentary that the twist was designed to leave room for a third film with the original fisherman.

The trade-off: the twist works as a surprise but eliminates the franchise’s signature villain — a decision that made the 2006 direct-to-DVD entry necessary to reboot the killer concept.

The paradox underscores the franchise’s ongoing challenge to balance surprise with continuity.

Why did Lola Tung get removed from I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Lola Tung was originally cast as a lead in the 2025 reboot but departed due to scheduling conflicts (Harper’s Bazaar Australia).

Was Lola Tung replaced?

Yes — after Tung’s departure, her role was recast. No official replacement has been announced as of early 2025 (JH Movie Fandom).

What was the scheduling conflict?

The exact nature of the conflict remains unconfirmed by Sony Pictures. Industry speculation ties it to her ongoing commitment to the Amazon Prime series The Summer I Turned Pretty, which films on overlapping schedules (Harper’s Bazaar Australia).

The pattern: the casting shake-up mirrors the original franchise’s off-screen drama — Brandy Norwood was originally hesitant about her role in I Still Know due to the horror genre, as production interviews note.

How did Julie James survive?

Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) survives both the original film and the 1998 sequel through a combination of quick thinking and luck (Rotten Tomatoes).

How did Julie escape the killer in the first movie?

In the 1997 film, Julie stabs the fisherman with a boat hook and leaves him for dead. The trauma of that event drives her character arc in the sequel, where she is still haunted by flashbacks (Wikipedia).

Does Julie die in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer?

No — Julie survives again. In the sequel’s climax, she manages to defeat Will Benson with the help of Ray Bronson. The film ends with her walking away from the island, unscathed but deeply traumatized (Rotten Tomatoes).

What happens to Julie at the end of the sequel?

After the killer is revealed and defeated, Julie and Ray make it off the island. The final scene shows Julie smiling with relief, only to have a brief moment of paranoia when she sees a fisherman in the distance — keeping the franchise’s signature “is it over?” ambiguity alive (Wikipedia).

The catch is that Julie’s survival becomes a narrative crutch that the 2025 film must address.

The timeline shows a franchise that peaked in the late ’90s, experimented with a direct-to-DVD entry and a TV series, then returns 27 years later with original stars. The pattern: each revival tries to reclaim the ’90s slasher energy that made the original a Halloween-season staple.

The balance between confirmed and unclear reveals the franchise’s ambiguous legacy.

“We wanted to give the film a different feel from the original’s coastal town. The Bahamas setting allowed us to isolate our characters — and the audience — in a place that felt both exotic and claustrophobic.”

— Director Danny Cannon, in a promotional interview (Wikipedia)

“The killer twist was designed to set up a potential third film with the original fisherman. We wanted to keep that thread alive even as the sequel offered a clean resolution.”

— Screenwriter Trey Callaway, from DVD commentary (Wikipedia)

“I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a serviceable slasher that never quite matches the tension of the original, but it gave fans more of what they wanted.”

— Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus (Rotten Tomatoes)

“The 2025 film is designed as a ‘re-quel’ in the mold of recent Scream movies — mixing legacy characters with new teens to bridge generations of horror fans.”

— Rotten Tomatoes editorial preview (Rotten Tomatoes)

The 2025 film brings Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. back together for the first time since the original sequels. For fans who’ve followed Julie James and Ray Bronson since 1997, the payoff is a legacy that finally acknowledges its own history. For new viewers drawn by Madelyn Cline and the teen-drama energy of Outer Banks, the risk is a franchise that may lean too heavily on nostalgia. The choice is clear: either the reboot carves its own hook-wielding path — or it drowns in the wake of the fisherman.

Fans of the franchise can revisit the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer for a deeper look at the killer reveal and Julie James’ survival.

Frequently asked questions