Credit: Warner Bros.One of Netflix and The CW’s biggest stars has just walked from what was set to be potentially the biggest horror blockbuster of 2025.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is a chilling teen horror film that follows a group of friends who are haunted by a deadly secret. After accidentally killing a fisherman in a car accident, the friends cover up the incident and dispose of the body. One year later, a mysterious figure begins to stalk them, threatening to expose their dark secret.
The film features a talented cast, including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr. Their performances, combined with the suspenseful plot and chilling atmosphere, contribute to the film’s success.
I Know What You Did Last Summer was a commercial hit, grossing over $125 million worldwide. It debuted at number one at the box office and became one of the highest-grossing horror films of 1997. The film’s success helped launch the careers of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar, who became known as “teen scream queens” for their roles in horror films.
The original film’s success spawned several sequels, including I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in 1998 and I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer in 2006. The franchise was also reimagined in 2021 as a television series that premiered on Prime Video.
Knowing how well the film did and how often production companies are going back to the basics and rebooting previously successful franchises, it was not a shock to hear that I Know What You Did Last Summer was getting a reboot.
Earlier this year, Sony revealed that its upcoming film I Know What You Did Last Summer, directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge), will hit theaters through Columbia Pictures on July 18, 2025.
The screenplay, penned by Kaytin Robinson and Sam Lansky based on a script by Leah McKendrick, remains a closely guarded secret for now. However, it is anticipated that Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt will reprise their roles. Neal Moritz is on board as the producer.
The release date announcement for I Know What You Did Last Summer follows a flurry of updates from Universal regarding several other upcoming films. Blumhouse’s thriller The Woman in the Yard is now scheduled for a Friday, March 28, 2025 release, followed by Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse’s Drop on Friday, April 11, 2025. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, another Blumhouse production, is set to hit theaters on Friday, December 5, 2025.
Additionally, it was revealed that Blumhouse’s The Black Phone 2 will move from its original June 27, 2025 release to Friday, October 17, 2025, with M3GAN 2.0 shifting from May 16, 2025 to the newly vacated June slot. All of these Universal films are set for wide releases.
It was previously reported that Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Hauer-King are set to star in I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as the Netflix star Camila Mendes, who is well known for her role on Riverdale, where she plays Veronica Lodge.
Riverdale is a teen drama series based on the Archie Comics characters. The show premiered in 2017 and quickly gained a dedicated following, becoming a cultural phenomenon. It was praised for its dark and mysterious tone, as well as its exploration of complex teenage relationships and issues.
Riverdale was a commercial success, attracting a large audience, particularly among young adults. It consistently ranked high in viewership ratings and became one of The CW’s most popular shows, but dropped in viewership. The season two premiere of Riverdale had 2.3 million same-day viewers, but the season 7 finale had a total viewership of 208,000 and a 0.05 rating in the key broadcast demographic of adults 18-49.
While Riverdale initially aired on The CW, it later became available on Netflix. The streaming platform helped expand the show’s reach, introducing it to a wider audience and contributing to its ongoing popularity.
The main cast of Riverdale includes:
- KJ Apa as Archie Andrews
- Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper
- Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge
- Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones
- Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom
- Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy
- Casey Cott as Kevin Keller
- Camila Mendes and Veronica Lodge
Camila Mendes portrays Veronica Lodge, a wealthy and sophisticated character who moves to Riverdale after her family’s financial downfall. Her character is known for her intelligence, wit, and strong personality. Mendes’s performance has been praised for her ability to capture Veronica’s complexity and depth.
In addition to her role in Riverdale, Camila Mendes has appeared in several other Netflix projects, including The Babysitter (2017), Tall Girl (2019), The Perfect Date (2019), Dangerous Lies (2020), and Do Revenge (2022).
While Mendes was set to appear in I Know What You Did Last Summer, she has pulled from the film.
Deadline reported, “Camila Mendes will no longer be starring in the Sony reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer. We understand the Riverdale actress could not make the production dates work given her starring role in the upcoming mega Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films title Masters of the Universe in which she’ll play Teela.”
Jenna Ortega and the Scream Controversy Drama Unfolded
Jenna Ortega is officially parting ways with the Scream franchise. Her departure comes shortly after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired following social media posts regarding the Israel and Palestine conflict.
Although these events happened close together, Ortega’s exit is reportedly unrelated to Barrera’s firing. According to Deadline, her decision to leave had been in the works for months due to scheduling conflicts with her commitments to Wednesday season 2, produced by Tim Burton.
In addition to Wednesday, Ortega is also wrapping up another Burton project, Beetlejuice 2, which is set to hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
Ortega isn’t the only one stepping back from the Scream series. Director Christopher Landon announced his departure from Scream VII in December 2023, sharing on X, “I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago.
This will disappoint some and delight others.” He also hinted at difficulties on set, adding, “It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare. And my heart did break for everyone involved. Everyone. But it’s time to move on.”
Melissa Barrera, who was let go from the franchise, addressed her firing in a January 2024 interview with Rolling Stone. The publication noted that their research found no evidence to support the accusations against her.
Barrera shared, “I’m not the first person that’s happened to, but it was shocking… I think everything that happened was very transparent, on both sides, and I know who I am, and I know that what I said always came from a place of love and a place of humanity and a place of human rights and a place of freedom for people, which shouldn’t be controversial.”
Ortega had portrayed Tara Carpenter in the 2022 Scream reboot and 2023’s Scream 6, playing the half-sister to Melissa Barrera’s character, Sam Carpenter, and serving as one of the main protagonists targeted by Ghostface.
Reflecting on her career shift from Disney Channel to more dramatic roles, Ortega told Complex in March 2022, “I think it’s kind of weird because it’s happened all organically in a sense. I do remember leaving Disney Channel being really nervous because it was really hard to get into audition rooms. My main goal has always been film, and I wasn’t well-known enough. I didn’t have any connection to the industry.”
What do you think of these horror franchises relying on reboots as of late?