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Secrets can be deadly, and they never stay buried for long.

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a horror film series about a group of teens who discover the deadly price trying to cover up their sins. Based on the 1973 Lois Duncan novel, the original 1997 film helped revive the slasher genre. A new film, also titled I Know What You Did Last Summer, his theaters in July, making this the perfect time to revisit the franchise, or watch it for the first time.

But how do you make sense of it all? Why are there three versions of I Know What You Did Last Summer, and where does the television series fit in? Not to worry, Popverse has you covered. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about watching I Know What You Did Last Summer and all its sequels.

How to watch I Know What You Did Last Summer in release order

The I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise consists of four movies and one television series. With three of the entries all having the same title, it could be confusing to keep it straight, but this watch list should clear things up. If you’re watching a title called I Know What You Did Last Summer, be sure to check the year to make sure you have the right one. Once you have that covered, the rest of the series is easy to navigate.

• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997 film)
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998 film)
• I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006 film)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021 television series)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025 film)
  
  

How to watch I Know What You Did Last Summer in chronological order

If you’re looking to watch the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise in chronological order, it isn’t too hard. The films don’t jump around the timeline. However, there are three distinct continuities in the franchise. Here’s how to tell them apart…

I Know What You Did Last Summer Timeline V1.0

This timeline covers the original film series, the 1998 sequel, and the 2006 direct-to-video film I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer. It should be noted that I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer follows new characters and has little ties to the first two films. It also contains supernatural elements,

• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997 film)
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998 film)
• I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006 film)

I Know What You Did Last Summer Timeline V2.0

This timeline is nearly identical to the first one, with the exception of the 2006 film being replaced with the upcoming 2025 film. The I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) movie will ignore the events of I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer and will pick up decades after the events of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. In other words, the IKWYDLS timeline branches depending on which film you watch after I Still Know.

• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997 film)
• I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998 film)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025 film)
  
  

I Know What You Did Last Summer TV Timeline

This timeline covers the 2021 television series, which is set in its own continuity. In other words, the TV show has no connection to the movies and serves as a standalone project.

• I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021 television series)
  
  

Who was the actual killer in I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Warning – spoilers ahead!

If you’re reading this section of the article, chances are you’re watching the film now and wanted to look up the answer before the finale. The killer in the first I Know What You Did Last Summer movie is Ben Willis, the pedestrian the teens thought they killed in the hit and run accident. Ben had survived and decided to hunt the teens as revenge for leaving him for dead.

Will there be a season two of I Know What You Did Last Summer?

No, I Know What You Did Last Summer will not be getting a season two. Prime Video cancelled the streaming series after one season. No official reason was given for the cancellation, but most reports speculated that it was due to the show’s poor critical reception and low ratings. 

How old was Jennifer Love Hewitt in I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Jennifer Love Hewitt was 18 years old during the filming of I Know What You Did Last Summer. This is roughly the same age as her character Julie James, who is estimated to be anywhere from 17-18 in the first film. Hollywood slasher flicks usually cast twentysomethings as teenagers, making Hewitt a rare exception to the rule.

What came out first, Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer?

Scream came out before I Know What You Did Last Summer. The first Scream film hit theaters on December 20, 1996, while I Know What You Did Last Summer was released on October 17, 1997. However, don’t call I Know What You Did Last Summer a rip-off of Scream, as it’s based on a 1973 Lois Duncan novel. It’s worth noting that the 1997 film deviates from the novel’s plot, making it more of a slasher flick, while the book was more of a thriller.

The screenplays for both films were written by Kevin Williamson. In fact, Columbia Pictures was sued by Miramax Films for promoting I Know What You Did Last Summer as being “from the creator of Scream.” Either way, both films helped revive the teen slasher flick genre.

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

The upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer film is a sequel, not a reboot. The film, which hits theaters on July 18, was originally planned as a reboot of the franchise, but remained in development limbo for years. When the project was revived, it was reimagined as a legacy sequel. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. will reprise their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson. While the film isn’t a reboot, it will ignore the events of I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.

Where can I watch I Know What You Did Last Summer?

As of this writing, most of the films in the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise can’t be found on streaming. The original 1997 film is on Netflix, but not the sequels. However, the sequels can still be purchased digitally from a variety of video-on-demand platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Apple TV, and more. The I Know What You Did Last Summer television series is streaming on Prime Video. Please note, the availability of these titles could change as streaming licenses expire and new deals are made.

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." We couldn't agree more, which is why we've cobbled together a couple pieces to send a chill up your spine. Join Popverse as we explore:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.