Jennifer Love Hewitt is returning to the role that defined her scream queen status, but stepping back into Julie James’s world wasn’t as simple as slipping on a rain-soaked jacket.
In the upcoming “I Know What You Did Last Summer” sequel, opening July 18, Hewitt reprises her role for the first time in 27 years. The story picks up with Julie now working as a trauma-focused psychology professor, quietly living in Southport, North Carolina, until a new generation arrives with a terrifyingly familiar problem.
For Hewitt, it wasn’t just the storyline that hit hard. It was the first scene she filmed with Freddie Prinze Jr., returning as Ray.
Jennifer Love Hewitt Reunites With Freddie Prinze Jr. in Emotional Return to I Know What You Did Last Summer
Getty“Honestly, it was an out-of-body experience that I didn’t totally process until after we were done with the first scene,” Hewitt told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published in mid-July. “I was just so in my head about making sure that Julie and Ray felt like Julie and Ray, but also a totally new Julie and Ray.”
The pair hadn’t appeared onscreen together since 1998, but their chemistry came back immediately.
“It felt like a high school reunion,” she said. “So much time has passed, but we still fit with each other.”
Still, Hewitt was hesitant to return until she felt the film gave Julie a meaningful place in the story. “I wanted her part in the movie to matter and for the audience to feel like they were proud of who she has become.”
This time, Julie hasn’t moved on from what happened. “It was really important for me to not see a Julie James that had healed her trauma,” Hewitt said. “She needed to stay in trauma, and she would’ve stayed in trauma, so this version of her feels right.”
New I Know What You Did Last Summer Ending Will Surprise Fans, Says Jennifer Love Hewitt
While plot details are being kept quiet, Hewitt hinted that the ending takes a major turn that longtime fans may only appreciate after revisiting the first two films.
“I will say that in thinking about it and watching the other movies before filming this new one, the ending makes sense,” she said.
Though she offered no spoilers, THR described the ending as jaw-dropping and bold, suggesting it ties closely to past events. Hewitt implied that there are details from the earlier movies that make the new finale hit even harder.
The sequel also brings back Julie’s most iconic line, “What are you waiting for, huh?” This time, it carries new meaning. “It had to be said again, and it had to be said in a fresh way,” Hewitt explained. “The meaning behind this one is very different, and I love where it is in the movie.”
Filming took place in Australia, but the story is still set in Southport. For Hewitt, this project wasn’t just a nostalgic return. It was a continuation of a story that still matters.
Hewitt has remained active on TV, currently starring as Maddie Buckley on the hit TV series “9‑1‑1” since 2018, earning praise for her portrayal of a resilient emergency operator
“I Know What You Did Last Summer” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, July 18.
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