“I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)”: Major Spoilers, Killer Reveal, and Legacy Cameos Explained

As I Know What You Did Last Summer slashes its way into a new generation, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s requel offers plenty of surprises for fans of the original. This latest horror franchise revival, alongside titles like Halloween and Scream, takes bold swings with its killer reveal and features secret legacy cast cameos that longtime fans will appreciate.

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprise their iconic roles as survivors and high school sweethearts Julie James and Ray Bronson. Nostalgia plays a major role alongside a young cast of potential victims and suspects, including Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, and Sarah Pidgeon.

The film includes several Easter eggs — such as a freight elevator, parade float, gym locker room, and a Scooby Doo reference — keeping fans hooked with massive plot twists.

One standout surprise is Sarah Michelle Gellar’s digitally de-aged cameo as the snarky ghost of Helen Shivers in a dream sequence. Despite her earlier public denials, Gellar returns as part of the haunting legacy, connecting deeply with the new storyline. Her appearance was a highlight at the world premiere in Los Angeles and promises to excite audiences in theaters.

In the post-credits scene, Brandy Norwood returns as Karla Wilson, a survivor from the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Reacting to new horrors in Southport, North Carolina, Karla receives a chilling warning from Julie, hinting at a potential alliance of final girls for future installments.

The killer reveal takes a bold new direction from previous adaptations of Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel, with Sarah Pidgeon’s Stevie Ward confessing in a menacing monologue her motive for revenge against former friends who abandoned her during dark times. Ray is exposed as the manipulative father figure encouraging Stevie’s vendetta against the town that erased his trauma decades ago.

The requel ends with Julie and Ava Brooks (Wonders) defeating Ray, but Stevie remains at large, setting the stage for another sequel.