Jennifer Love Hewitt says 'the idea of returning to Julie James is really exciting'

Filming for Sony's I Know What You Did Last Summer legacy sequel started in late November, but we still haven't received official confirmation on whether or not Jennifer Love Hewitt will return to reprise her role as series final girl Julie James.

During a recent interview with ComingSoon.net, Hewitt gave fans a hopeful update, revealing that while she has "not officially signed on yet," they are "close" to finalizing a deal. She says scheduling around her current series, the FOX procedural 9-1-1, has complicated things.

However, Hewitt also says playing Julie again "would be an honor." She's particularly excited to learn what Julie has been up to after all this time and how that single, traumatizing night fundamentally changed her life.

"I think on the personal level of being like, 'what are people gonna think of the 45-year-old version of Julie James?' I think ’cause I’m a woman and human, that part of it makes me a little nervous," Hewitt adds.

Hewitt doesn't want a mere cameo

In late November, Hewitt told Parade that she wants to ensure that if she returns for the sequel, it's for something significant and not just a brief cameo, saying, "I don't want to just be in it for five seconds." Whatever they come up with, the '90s star wants the chance to "carve out time to really be in it" and "for it to matter."

Echoing her later statement to ComingSoon.net, she told Parade that her team was close to completing the deal and ironing out the details. It sounds like her return is likely to happen, and hopefully, we'll get an official announcement very soon.

Freddie Prinze Jr. has reportedly wrapped filming on the sequel

I Know What You Did Last Summer is currently filming in Australia. Reports previously confirmed that Hewitt's former co-star Freddie Prinze Jr. would return as Julie's boyfriend (and eventual husband) Ray Bronson.

Prinze Jr. recently shared several Instagram stories indicating he had already wrapped filming. In one, he wrote, "Bye Australia! Thanks for a great time!" in another, he said, "Work is done. Back to painting minis."

If he has wrapped already and Hewitt hasn't even officially signed on, does that mean Ray and Julie won't have any scenes together? It seems like a mistake to bring back legacy characters, especially characters in a relationship, and not have them share at least one scene. Perhaps they'll film some pick-ups in the States.

The last time we saw Ray and Julie was in the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. They had settled into a new house and were enjoying married life until, one night, Julie saw Ben hiding under their bed. In the final shot, viewers were privy to the killer yanking Julie beneath it.

Apart from Prinze Jr. and Hewitt, no other original cast members are expected to return (which makes sense since the other leads are dead!), but the new movie boasts an exciting cast of up-and-coming stars like Madelyn Cline, Jonah Hauer-King, Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, and Tyriq Withers. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) directs and co-wrote the script.

The untitled sequel film will be released on July 18, 2025.