Jennifer Love Hewitt is back! The actress will reprise her iconic role as Julie James in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, much to the excitement of fans. This marks her return to the franchise, joining former co-star Freddie Prinze Jr., who will also return for the third installment.
The highly anticipated film is being written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, known for her work on the Netflix hit Do Revenge. Hewitt’s return to the franchise is a big deal, especially considering how long it’s been since the original films. The 45-year-old actress recently spoke with Variety about the honour of being invited back to the franchise, saying, “I will say it is truly such an honor, at 45, to even be invited back. To be thought of in that way, to not just move on to the newer, better, younger versions, but [to be offered] to come back and play that part is really cool.”
While Jennifer was thrilled about the opportunity, she admits she had some hesitations before agreeing to return. In her conversation with Variety, she explained why she didn’t immediately sign on for the project: “We’re trying really hard to make it work. We’re so close, guys! I promise I’ll make a fun announcement, and it’ll be amazing.” However, Jennifer was clear about what she wanted from her return. She didn’t want to simply appear as a nostalgic callback. Instead, she wanted her character, Julie, to have real substance in the new film, stating, “ I think that a big part of the reason we’ve taken a minute is I don’t want to just be like, ‘Oh, there’s the ghost of ’90s past for five seconds in the movie.’ I want to have her come back, be there for a reason, play a real part, and show the audience who she’s become 27 years later.”
For Jennifer, the most daunting part of returning to the role is the passage of time. She jokingly shared that the scariest thing about the film might be how audiences react to seeing her as a 45-year-old, especially given that they last saw her as a 21-year-old in the original. “I think the scariest thing about the movie will probably be people seeing me as 45, since they saw me last time at 21,” she said. “They might not even need to do anything else in the film — just do a real close-up with no filter, and there you go!” Despite her playful concerns, Jennifer is excited and honoured to return to the role, adding, “But I’m really excited and really honored, and just fingers crossed that everything falls into place.”
One of the most important conditions Jennifer had for returning to I Know What You Did Last Summer was that her character Julie wouldn’t die. Fans will have to wait and see how this rule plays out, but it’s clear that Jennifer wants her character to have a significant and lasting impact in the sequel.
Jennifer Love Hewitt first appeared as Julie James in the original 1997 film, which became a massive hit. She reprised the role in the 1998 sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and now, over two decades later, she’s coming back for the next chapter. It’s a full-circle moment for Jennifer, who has seen the I Know What You Did Last Summer films become cult classics over the years.
The upcoming sequel will introduce a new generation of stars, including Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Austin Nichols, and Gabbriette. These fresh faces will join Jennifer and Freddie in a chilling new chapter for the beloved franchise.
The third installment of I Know What You Did Last Summer is set to be released in theatres on July 18, and fans can’t wait to see what’s in store for Julie James and the rest of the characters. It’s clear that Jennifer Love Hewitt is ready to give fans an unforgettable return to the suspense and thrills of the original films, with a fresh new twist.
