Cast of I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025: Full List

Few horror franchises from the 1990s still make you look twice at a hook-wielding fisherman, yet here we are again, nearly three decades after Julie James and Ray Bronson survived the original slasher. The 2025 direct sequel brings back two beloved survivors while introducing a fresh ensemble—and quietly saying goodbye to some familiar faces without explanation.

Original film release year: 1997 ·
2025 sequel release date: July 18, 2025 ·
Returning original cast members: 2 ·
New confirmed main cast members: 6 ·
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson ·
Franchise status: Direct sequel

Two releases, one franchise, one glaring gap: the legacy survivors who came back and those who didn’t. The table below lays out the core facts of the 2025 production.

Is I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025 a sequel?

Relationship to the 1997 film

• The 2025 film is a direct continuation, not a reboot (Rotten Tomatoes).
• The plot picks up decades after the original, following a new group of friends who cause a deadly accident and are stalked by someone who knows their secret (TV Guide).

Direct sequel vs. reboot

According to Cosmopolitan, the film is explicitly a direct sequel, bringing back original characters Julie James and Ray Bronson as legacy survivors who assist the new victims. This distinguishes it from a clean reboot that would have erased the original continuity.

The implication: the franchise is betting on nostalgia to draw older fans while hooking a new audience with rising stars like Madelyn Cline and Chase Sui Wonders.

Who are the new and returning cast members in I Know What You Did Last Summer 2025?

Full main cast list with characters

• Madelyn Cline as Danica Richards (Rotten Tomatoes)
• Chase Sui Wonders as Ava Brucks (TV Guide)
• Jonah Hauer-King as Milo Griffin (TV Guide)
• Tyriq Withers as Teddy Spencer (TV Guide)
• Sarah Pidgeon as Stevie Ward (TV Guide)
• Billy Campbell as Grant Spencer, mayor of Southport (Wikipedia)
• Gabbriette Bechtel as Tyler Trevino, a podcaster (Wikipedia)
• Austin Nichols as Pastor Judah Gillespie (Wikipedia)
• Joshua Orpin as Wyatt, Danica’s fiancé (Wikipedia)
• Georgia Flood as Hannah Decker (Wikipedia)

Returning original stars: Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr.

• Jennifer Love Hewitt reprises her role as Julie James (Cosmopolitan).
• Freddie Prinze Jr. returns as Ray Bronson (Cosmopolitan).
• Together they form the nostalgic anchor of the sequel, functioning as mentors.

Who plays Tyler and Milo?

• Gabbriette Bechtel plays Tyler Trevino, a podcaster who befriends Ava (Wikipedia).
• Jonah Hauer-King plays Milo Griffin, one of the new leads (TV Guide).

The pattern: the sequel’s success will depend on whether the new cast can hold their own against the legacy draw.

Who is the Fisherman Killer in 2025’s I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Identity of the killer

The studio has not publicly confirmed the killer’s identity. According to TV Guide, the plot follows a new group of friends who are stalked by someone who knows their secret, but the masked Fisherman Killer’s face remains under wraps. The mystery is a deliberate narrative hook.

The catch: the killer’s anonymity is the film’s main selling point, forcing audiences to guess until the final act.

Connection to the original Fisherman Killer

In the 1997 film, the original fisherman killer was ultimately revealed to be the vengeful father of the deceased boy from the accident. Ray Bronson, played by Freddie Prinze Jr., was later discussed in franchise lore as having killed the killer in the original. In the 2025 film, survivors Julie and Ray are not the perpetrators but rather targets of a new killer who may have a personal connection to the original events (Wikipedia).

Was Sarah Michelle Gellar in I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Her role in the 1997 film

Sarah Michelle Gellar played Helen Shivers, the ambitious sister of the main victim, in the 1997 original. She was one of the film’s most memorable characters and met a tragic end.

Why she is not in the 2025 sequel

Gellar does not appear in the 2025 film. No official reason has been provided by the studio or by Gellar herself. Some Cosmopolitan reports note that her character died in the original, making a return difficult unless via flashback — but no such material has been confirmed.

The pattern: the sequel shows that franchise nostalgia has limits. Even a marquee 1990s horror star is not automatically brought back if her narrative arc closed decisively.

Why did Lola Tung and Nicholas Alexander Chavez get cut from the film?

Original casting announcement

In early production stages, Wikipedia lists Lola Tung and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as having been cast in undisclosed roles. The news was reported by multiple entertainment outlets before filming began.

Subsequent removal from the project

According to the same Wikipedia entry, both actors were later cut from the film before principal photography wrapped. No specific reason has been publicly disclosed.

Possible reasons (narrative restructuring or scheduling)

Cosmopolitan suggests that narrative restructuring — common in horror sequels where rewrites happen late — may have eliminated their characters. Scheduling conflicts could also be a factor, but neither actor nor the studio has commented.

The implication: the final cast is leaner, but the absence of these actors leaves unanswered questions about the original script.

The sequence reinforces that the 2025 film is the first theatrical continuation since the original, skipping over the TV series entirely.

The contrast between the two columns shows how much of the sequel’s lore remains under wraps, even near release.

“We knew we had to honor what came before while making room for a new generation. Jennifer and Freddie were always the emotional core that modernizes this story for 2025.”

— Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, director, in press materials

“The new cast of I Know What You Did Last Summer brings a fresh energy, but the return of Julie and Ray is what gives the sequel its nostalgic weight.”

— Cosmopolitan, July 2025

For Sony Pictures, the sequel’s success hinges on whether the blend of legacy and novelty clicks. If the two original survivors are used sparingly as anchors rather than crutches, the film could revive a dormant franchise. If the new cast doesn’t connect with young horror audiences, the Fisherman Killer might finally retire for good. For Madelyn Cline and the returning stars, the sequel’s box-office performance will determine if the franchise lives or dies.