‘I Know What You Did Final Summer time’ Director Defends the Stunning Twist (Unique)

Warning: This put up incorporates spoilers for the brand new I Know What You Did Final Summer time, in theaters now.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is conscious her new I Know What You Did Final Summer time movie’s twist shall be divisive amongst die-hard followers of the horror franchise.

One of many movie’s killers is revealed to be Ray Bronson, the character Freddie Prinze Jr. has performed because the 1997 authentic slasher.

Annoyed that the city of Southport, N.C. has erased the ’97 bloodbath from the historical past books to advertise tourism and growth, Ray reminds everybody of the fisherman’s homicide spree by serving to his worker Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon) get revenge on her pals. (She and her former friends induced a lethal automobile accident, very similar to the inciting incident of the O.G. film.)

“Do I feel individuals may not prefer it? Certain,” Robinson, who co-wrote the brand new sequel with Sam Lansky, tells ipromiseyoumedia of Ray’s surprising twist. “However I feel for me, it was at all times about if you are going to do that, take a swing. Simply take a swing. Hear, if not everyone likes it, that is okay. As a result of I feel we want extra motion pictures that you may argue about within the automobile on the trip dwelling.”

Prinze, 49, says he and Robinson “talked quite a bit about the explanation why” Ray snapped right into a killer and “what trauma can do and the way the identical trauma can have an effect on individuals so otherwise.”

“It could actually make you or it may possibly break you. And what occurs if it breaks you? What does that do? How do you react to conditions?” he tells ipromiseyoumedia, including of the twist, “There’s going to positively be those that freak out. However I’ve to make this film as a result of I imagine within the selections that the character’s making, not essentially those that different individuals might even see as what they need, what their want achievement is. I’ve to see it and imagine it.”

He continues, “I really like what they’ve accomplished with Ray. Jen Robinson and Sam Lansky put a lot time into Ray and Julie, they usually’re such a driving power on this movie that folks will get what they’re on the lookout for out of those characters. You will get to see who Ray was, and you will get to see who Ray is, and you will get to determine what occurred in between.”

Jennifer Love Hewitt reprises her function as Julie James, who’s now a psychology professor and ex-wife of Ray. They’ve a confrontation close to the tip of the film, and when Ray is about to kill Julie, he is shot and killed from behind with a harpoon gun fired by Ava (Chase Sui Wonders).

Hewitt, 46, admits she was at first shocked by the route Prinze’s character goes in.

Nevertheless, “I feel it is sensible. In case you actually have a look at who he was within the motion pictures, it is sensible,” she tells ipromiseyoumedia. “He was at all times this tortured, darkish sort of child who wasn’t actually positive about how he felt about Southport and his place there and what that every one meant, and he carried his personal stuff, clearly from the highway that night time and all the pieces.”

“So despite the fact that I used to be shocked at first [by the twist],” continues Hewitt, “once I went again and actually checked out it and put these items collectively for myself, I feel it felt prefer it made sense. When Julie realizes that within the film, I attempted to not play the shock of it in order that even in my small half on this, individuals would be capable of hopefully return and be like, ‘She was not shocked by this. Why was she not shocked by it?’ what I imply? In case you actually put the items collectively, I get it.”

Robinson additional provides of the plot twist and the lasting trauma of the ’97 film, “The considered this factor that occurred to Julie and Ray pushing each of them in such completely different instructions was actually fascinating to me.”

“And I did like that Harvey Dent arc of ‘you die the hero otherwise you dwell lengthy sufficient to turn out to be the villain.’ As a result of I do suppose that calcified trauma — particularly in males who aren’t coping with their feelings — can change you in actually profound ways in which you do not even notice,” says Robinson.

“To me, that was at all times the factor that was fascinating. I went to Sony and I used to be like, ‘I wish to do it, however I solely wish to do it if I can do that.’ They stated sure. I went to Freddie and sort of pitched him why I felt the character would find yourself right here, after which I pitched him the film, and he was in, and we had been off to the races.”

Prinze says he’s “pleased with the work I did” within the new movie.

He says, “I’ve by no means been stalked by a slasher, however to get to use my very own private trauma to [the character] and make it as actual as I might in order that it genuinely damage… I went dwelling in a foul temper as a result of I used to be making an attempt to deliver as a lot vulnerability as I might to this character. I used to be actually excited for that.”

“I am actually pleased with the work that Love and I bought to do on display screen,” says Prinze. “I feel it is the very best work we have accomplished in all three of the films that we did collectively — and I do not suppose it is shut.” Provides Hewitt, “Freddie is admittedly nice on this film. It was enjoyable to observe.”

I Know What You Did Final Summer time is in theaters now.