6 Reasons ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Shouldn’t Be Rebooted

What are you waiting for?! Apparently, no one is waiting to remake the horror film “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Yes, you read that correctly. The teen thriller starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe is getting the reboot.

If you haven’t heard, Deadline announced the other day that Sony Pictures is giving the flick another go. Set to be written by “Oculus” co-writer/director Mike Flanagan and partner Jeff Howard and producer Neal Moritz (who produced the original 1997 movie), the three are all set to tell the story about a group of friends being terrorized by a killer after covering up a fatal car accident -- again. FYI: the story is originally based on the 1973 Lois Duncan book of the same name, with Sony Pictures aiming for a 2016 release.

As great as it is to see a beloved film (yes, it might not be a life-changing, Oscar-worthy film, but it brings some of us back to the good old days of scary teen movies starring some really good looking people) come back from the dead, sometimes it’s best to leave well enough alone.

With that said, here are six reasons why this reboot should not happen.

Warning: this article contains spoilers, so if you’ve been living under a rock and have never watched “I Know What You Did Last Summer” then read no further -- or prepared to be hooked, lined and spoiled.

1. Classics are not to be messed with.

 

Did we learn nothing from the remakes of “Psycho” and “The Day the Earth Stood Still”? “I Know What You Did Last Summer” is a classic ‘90s teen horror film that should not be messed with.

From the virgin losing her V card on the beach thanks to her handsome beau to the beautiful blonde getting her hair chopped off and losing her image to the rich boy boasting his muscles and badass attitude to the smart dork pining for the popular girl, all of these moments were captured perfectly in this cheesy, but beloved flick. Can a remake truly recapture all of those magical moments? No. No, it cannot.

2. The original cast is killer -- no pun intended.

 

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Julie). Sarah Michelle Gellar (Helen). Freddie Prinze Jr. (Ray). Ryan Phillippe (Barry). Can you imagine a new and completely different cast telling the story of a group of friends whose one summer was changed because of a drunken, fatal hit and run?

Hewitt portrayed the innocent Julie who could rock overalls and crop tops with the best of them. As Helen, Gellar embraced the beauty queen character to a T. Enter Prinze Jr. as Ray aka the hot high schooler turned fisherman turned possible killer. Then, we have hunk Phillippe as cocky Barry -- but who couldn’t stop staring at that curly hair and those biceps? Oh, and remember that scene with Barry on the balcony? Ugh. The pain and the heartbreak.

Lastly, is it even possible to find three main cast members with THREE names? That’s just a sure sign this movie shouldn’t be remade.

3. Can anyone really scream “What are you waiting for?” better than J. Love?

This is probably the most famous and quoted line from the movie. Let’s all scream it together: “What are you waiting for?! Huh?! What are you waiting for?!”

Did you just get chills? Now, let’s all thank Hewitt simultaneously for this scene. Can you picture anyone but the fabulous Jennifer Love Hewitt twirling and shouting this in the middle of the street after discovering Max’s body covered with crabs just disappeared from the trunk of her car?

If this movie does get remade, there’s no question that this line and scene should be avoided altogether.

4. Anne Heche, Muse Watson and Johnny Galecki’s roles can’t be redone.

 

Yes, the four main cast members were the stars of “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” but remember Anne Heche as creepy Missy Egan? What about Johnny Galecki (aka Leonard from “The Big Bang Theory”) as dorky fisherman Max who crushed hard on Julie? How about Muse Watson (aka Mike Franks from “NCIS”) as Ben Willis, the fisherman/the killer?!

Only Heche could pull off wearing a bloody apron after slicing open some fish and welcoming guests into her home. Of course, there’s no contest that Galecki can portray the geeky outcast flawlessly. And Watson is one actor who can either make his fans love him or hate him, especially when it comes to Mike Franks and Ben Willis.

Yep, this is one trio that can’t be beat.

5. Does anyone wear a wife beater and towel like Ryan Phillippe?

 

Barry’s wife beater and that lone towel are basically their own characters throughout the horror flick.

Barry’s hunkiness, muscles, cockiness and attitude are all embodied in that one very white wife beater. Also, who’s complaining about seeing Barry wearing a towel after a long, hot shower and then getting chased down the street by a maniacal car/driver (don’t be mistaken, he was wearing clothes at this point and not running naked)?

Yes, any current actor with a six-pack could probably make this look good, but there’s only one ‘90s Ryan Phillippe.

6. The sequel was bad enough.

 

We already had a very poorly done sequel, “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” starring Hewitt, Prinze, Brandy, Mekhi Phifer and Matthew Settle -- not to mention “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer.” These two movies are strong indications as to why sequels are sometimes a poor decision, not to mention a third movie might result in terrible choices. Just how many times can a fisherman get his revenge on hormonal teens/collegiates?

Let’s be honest, sometimes once is enough and nothing is ever good as the original.

Do you think an “I Know What You Did Last Summer” remake is a good idea and will hook viewers? Or, do you think Sony Pictures should take this to their grave and never speak of a reboot again? Let us hear your comments!

src of starpulse.com