Freddie Prinze Jr. revealed a chilling story from his youth during a recent Entertainment Weekly Superlatives event, where his co-stars unanimously named him
“Most Likely to go into a dark basement… or any dark and scary place.”
This honor highlighted Prinze Jr.’s fearless approach to the dark, a trait that has clearly remained with him since childhood and now captivates his fellow cast members. His willingness to confront fear directly connects to his role in the new 2025 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, where staying brave is key to survival.
A Childhood Tale of Scaring Away Ghosts
During the conversation, Prinze Jr. recounted a story from when he was a child, describing how he would walk down dark hallways at bedtime. Although he does not remember the incident personally, his mother shared that he would purposefully enter dark corners of their home, letting out eerie screams. When asked by co-star Chase Sui Wonders if this was an attempt to scare away ghosts, Prinze Jr. confirmed that it was his way of taking control:
“She’d say, ‘What are you doing?’ And I’d say, ‘I’m trying to scare them before they scare me.’”
This story stunned the cast, who responded with admiration and fascination, reinforcing Prinze Jr.’s long-standing association with confronting fear head-on.
The Legacy of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Its New Cast
The new 2025 installment of I Know What You Did Last Summer is not a direct sequel to the 1997 original film but rather the 1998 follow-up, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. While stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe died in the original movie, only Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt returned for this latest project. The series notably omits characters from the 2006 direct-to-video sequel and the 2021 Amazon TV adaptation.
This latest film follows a group of young rising stars including Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, and Madelyn Cline as they battle a new killer wielding the signature fisherman’s hook similar to previous films. Prinze Jr.’s character, Ray Bronson, and Hewitt’s Julie James represent the survivors of the original Southport massacre from 1997, serving as both mentors and key figures within this fresh iteration.
Freddie Prinze Jr.’s Impact Among the Cast
At the Superlatives event, Prinze Jr. earned six different titles bestowed by his fellow actors, highlighting his presence both on-set and within their new horror legacy. Some of his accolades included
“Most Likely to steal a scene with no dialogue,”
attributed humorously to his “dead inside” eyes, and
“Most Likely to rescue someone in the 11th hour,”
paired with his joking admission that he might actually run if the situation became too dangerous. Sharing the title
“Most Likely to be the killer”
with the entire group, Prinze Jr. quipped about potentially blaming co-star Madelyn Cline, illustrating his playful rapport with the ensemble.
The Return of a Horror Franchise Icon
Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt were officially announced to reprise their roles in early 2023, continuing a trend where legacy horror sequels invite back original stars to restore continuity and depth to the story. This approach follows the footsteps of franchises like David Gordon Green’s Halloween trilogy, which brought Jamie Lee Curtis back, and the recent Scream sequels featuring Courteney Cox and Neve Campbell.
Reflecting on his character’s development, Prinze Jr. described Ray Bronson as “traumatized,” deeply shaped by the 1997 massacre in Southport. He explained,
“He loves his town and not everyone else does, in his view, and he’s a little grumpier with the way the world has treated him since.”
Prinze Jr. further noted that Ray is a man from the ’90s who likely has suppressed much of his pain, mirroring his own generation’s tendency to bottleneck emotions.
The Cultural and Narrative Importance of the New Film
The 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot merges nostalgic elements with fresh storytelling, bridging fan expectations between original characters and new faces. The inclusion of Freddie Prinze Jr. as a central figure strengthens this continuity, providing a direct connection to the franchise’s origin while allowing emerging stars to redefine the terror for modern audiences.
With a story that blends suspense and legacy, the film explores themes of trauma, survival, and resilience, amplified by Prinze Jr.’s own reflective comments on how his character’s past haunts him. This layered portrayal promises to deepen the narrative impact and emotional stakes, setting the stage for continued interest and potential future installments in the series.
