Freddie Prinze Jr. is poised to reprise one of his most distinguished roles, a performance that significantly contributed to his rise to prominence over twenty years ago.
The 48-year-old actor was a prominent figure in late-1990s teen cinema, with notable appearances in successful films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), She’s All That, Wing Commander, Down to You, Summer Catch, and the Scooby-Doo franchise.
Subsequently, he expanded his repertoire by participating in acclaimed television series, including 24 and Star Wars Rebels, among others; however, he remains predominantly recognized for his contributions to those earlier cinematic works.
One of the films that significantly contributed to the inception of his career is set to receive an upcoming sequel, with Prinze Jr. recently confirmed to rejoin the cast.
Can you ascertain which project Freddie Prinze Jr. originally starred in that he is returning to for this sequel? The details are provided below.
The actor in question is none other than Freddie Prinze Jr., who is set to return for the sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer, as reported by Deadline.
This legacy sequel will integrate characters from the original film with younger roles portrayed by a new cast and was initially announced in February 2023.
While the original report indicated that both Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt would reprise their roles, Prinze Jr. later clarified that he had not yet received an official offer.
Now, a year and a half later, his casting has been confirmed, although the report noted that Love Hewitt “is still very much in negotiations” to reprise her role as Julie James.
Prinze Jr. will return as Ray Bronson, joining a new cast that includes Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Hauer-King.
Although no specific plot details have been disclosed, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson confirmed that the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer will be considered “canon.” However, she did not specify that the 2006 straight-to-video sequel I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer will likely not be included in the franchise canon, as it did not feature any of the original stars and lacked a connection to the overarching narrative.
Robinson will direct from a screenplay written by Sam Lansky and Kaytin Robinson, based on a draft by Leah McKendrick, with Sony setting a release date of July 18, 2025.
No production schedule has been announced; however, if the goal is to meet the July 18, 2025, release date, filming will likely need to commence in the near future.
The original I Know What You Did Last Summer, penned by Scream creator Kevin Williamson and directed by Jim Gillespie, featured performances by Sarah Michelle Gellar—who is Prinze Jr.’s wife of 22 years—and Ryan Phillippe.
The film achieved significant box office success, grossing $125.3 million worldwide against a production budget of merely $17 million.
In contrast, the sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, which was expedited for release just one year later, garnered only $40 million, despite a reported budget of $65 million.