I Know What You Did Last Summer, Easter Eggs Franchise Teased by Horror Sequel Writer

With three movies and a show preceding it, writer Leah McKendrick teases some of the Easter eggs coming in the I know what you did last summer legacy suite. A new installment of the slasher franchise has been in the works since 2014, with Mike Flanagan initially developing a remake of the original adaptation of the ’70s novel. The Legacy sequel was confirmed in early 2023 starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. in talks to return with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson directing from a screenplay by Leah McKendrick based on a story concept from the duo.

Almost a year after its announcement, Rant screen spoke with McKendrick for his new film Scrambledduring which he was asked how I know what you did last summer the sequel would connect to the original. The writer teased some of the franchise’s Easter eggs that will feature in the upcoming film, including Hewitt’s iconic line “What are you waiting for?!” be “reused” for the rest. Check out what McKendrick teased below:

I’ll tell you that your favorite most iconic line from the original will be reused and brought back for the old school fans. I still think of you. I am one of you. It is safe in my hands. He is safe in Jen’s hands. We’re living the dream working on the film, and there are so many Easter eggs and nods to OG fans, so I hope we don’t disappoint.

I know what you did last summer, continues a recent horror trend

THE I know what you did last summer The sequel marks the horror genre’s latest recent trend of creating direct sequels to previous hits. This trend has proven mixed for the genre, with efforts such as the recent Shout the films and those of Nia DaCosta candy man proving to be critical and commercial successes, while Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer There was a notable hiccup. The latter follows writer/director David Gordon Green’s varied success with this formula after the Halloween trilogy.

Even with a common direct sequel mentality, different filmmakers have taken different approaches to how they approached previous franchise installments. The Greens chose to essentially reestablish every precedent Exorcist And Halloween sequel, while DaCosta and co-writers/producers Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld left room to interpret whether the previous candy man the films were great. Like them all, I know what you did last summer has a tricky group for McKendrick and Robinson, as the 1998 follow-up was a critical and commercial failure, the 2006 standalone installment shared no real connections, and Prime Video’s short-lived show was a remake.

Considering the bad reactions the majority of them received, it seems like the best approach for the duo would be to retcon the previous films for the film. I know what you did last summer following. This doesn’t have to leave them out for possible Easter eggs, including a nod to Ben’s return in the 1998 film as a mere urban legend or his undead appearance in the film of 2006 as a potential explanation for the resurgence of the fisherman in the new. Whichever approach you take, it should be fun to see how McKendrick reuses Hewitt’s iconic line.

I know what you did last summer

Loosely based on Lois Duncan’s 1973 novel I Know What You Did Last Summer, this 1997 slasher follows a group of friends who, after covering up a car accident, are stalked by a hook-wielding killer. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Freddie Prinze Jr., Johnny Galecki and Bridgette Wilson star with a script by Scream writer Kevin Williamson.

Release date

October 17, 1997

Director

Jim Gillespie

Duration

101 minutes

Writers

Kevin Williamson

Budget

$17 million

Studio(s)

Amazon Studios

Distributor(s)

Photos of Colombia

Suite(s)

I’ll always know what you did last summer, I’ll always know what you did last summer