‘I Know What You Did Last Summer' features shocking cameos by 2 award winners (spoilers!)
Guess we know what these two award winners — and I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise veterans — did last summer. Sony never tried to hide the fact that Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. would be returning for the just-released 2025 revival as Julie James and Ray Bronson, who barely survived their own close encounter of the slasher kind with the hook-wielding Fisherman killer in the original 1997 film.
But this latest Last Summer features a pair of shocking cameos by two other key players from the first movie and its 1998 sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. Daytime Emmy winner Sarah Michelle Gellar and Grammy winner Brandy Norwood both return for the new film — which takes place 25 years after the events of the original — and their surprise appearances inspired loud cheers and applause in the screening that Gold Derby attended.
More from Gold Derby
How 'Smurfs' points to the dire straits of the Best Animated Feature Oscar race
'She dies with me': Shari Lewis' daughter talks Lamb Chop's final act - including a new TV show and that song that will never end
Gellar's cameo was particularly shocking, because the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star was adamant in interviews that she wouldn't be joining Hewitt and Prinze — her real-life husband — onscreen, despite a personal appeal from the film's director, Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. The reason for her resistance? The fact that Gellar's character — Southport, N.C.'s resident beauty queen Helen Shivers — didn't survive her first run-in with the Fisherman.
"As I explained to Jennifer, I am dead," Gellar told Entertainment Tonight in 2023. "I am dead dead. On ice. "[Jennifer was] like, 'Are you sure you're dead dead?' I'm like, 'It's soap-dish dead. I don't have a head. You can't write for someone that doesn't have a head. I'm dead.'"
And, for the record, Helen is still dead in the new Last Summer — avoiding the dual resurrections that Buffy Summers endured during the course of her vampire-slaying adventures. (If you need a memory refresh, Buffy was brought back to life by CPR at the end of Season 1 and via witchcraft at the start of Season 6.) Instead, Gellar returns in a dream sequence and greets her contemporary counterpart, aspiring beauty queen Danica (Madelyn Cline).
Gellar's return is hinted at earlier in the movie when Danica's best friend, Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonder), is filled in on the lore of the Southport serial killer by a visiting true-crime podcaster (Gabbriette Bechtel), who has Helen's face emblazoned on a T-shirt. There's also a cameo of sorts by Helen's equally dead boyfriend Barry Cox, played by Ryan Phillippe — the one O.G. cast member who doesn't return. During a visit to a graveyard, two characters stumble upon Barry's tombstone and make a joke about the double meaning of his last name.
Later on, Ava and Danica are being held at the police station when the latter falls asleep and slips into a hallucinatory recreation of the beauty pageant that preceded her predecessor's gruesome demise. Even in the afterlife, Helen has plenty of attitude. After teasing Danica for her Fisherman-related fears, she gives the poor girl actual shivers as her pageant-perfect face decomposes into a talking corpse.
Throughout her brief, but memorable cameo, Gellar is quick on her feet and quick with the quips — which gives fans all the more reason to look forward to the upcoming Buffy revival, directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao. Buffy's second life will also hopefully give Gellar a second shot at a Primetime Emmy nomination — something she was repeatedly denied during its original seven season run despite the show's acclaim. Her performance was nominated for a Golden Globe, a TCA Award, and a Gold Derby TV Award for Drama Lead Actress of the Decade in 2010, nine years after the series finale aired.
Prior to her vampire slaying days, she received two Daytime Emmy nominations for her breakout performance as Kendall Hart on All My Children, winning the statuette in the since-discontinued Best Younger Leading Actress category in 1995 at the age of 18. Meanwhile, her Last Summer performance netted her a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actress, as well as an MTV Movie Award nomination for breakthrough performance.
Make sure you don't run screaming from the theater when the Last Summer credits start to roll, because there's one more surprise in store. A mid-credits sequence switches locations to a suburban house where news coverage of the latest Southport killing spree is playing out on a living room TV screen. Watching the footage is none other than Norwood's Karla Wilson, who had the unfortunate luck to be college roommates with Julia during the events of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
And she's clearly not over the experience all these years later. "Why do people keep trying to kill this girl?" she marvels to her husband. But then a knock on the door signals that her past and present are about to collide. Sure enough, Julia is there to fill Karla in on what just happened — and what's going to happen next. Another killer is still out there and rather than wait for him to come to them, they're going to go to him. Stay tuned for I Definitely Still Know What You Did Last Summer in 2027.
Norwood made her theatrical feature film debut with the Last Summer sequel, which hit multiplexes one year after she headlined the beloved 1997 TV movie musical version of Cinderella costarring Whitney Houston. Like Gellar, she was nominated for an MTV Movie Award and a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for playing Hewitt's friend and fellow Fisherman target.
The film also arrived in the middle of Norwood's storied late '90s Grammy run, which started with nominations for Best Female R&B Vocalist in 1996 and 1997 for "Baby" and "Sittin' Up in My Room," respectively. (Funnily enough, she didn't record a song for the second Last Summer soundtrack, but Hewitt did use the film to drop her own single, "How Do I Deal.")
Norwood struck awards gold in 1999 with her sophomore album, Never Say Never, featuring her blockbuster duet with Monica, "The Boy is Mine." That track received Grammy nods for Record of the Year and Best R&B Song, and won for Best R&B Performance by a Duo — a victory that the singers shared. Never Say Never was also nominated for Best R&B Album, but lost to Lauryn Hill's legendary solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
In an appropriate bit of timing, Norwood and Monica are hitting the road in October for "The Boy is Mine" tour. That's also when the new I Know What You Did Last Summer will be available for Halloween streaming. Now we know how '90s kids will be spending their spooky season...
Best of Gold Derby
Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized
Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best
'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin')
Click here to read the full article.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jim Cramer on Sony: 'I Don't Want to be There'
Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer reflected on. During the episode, a caller inquired about the stock in light of the tariffs, and Cramer replied: 'I don't want to be there. I don't want to be there because I think Japan's going to get the brunt. Too many soldiers there. We've done too much for them. I think that Japan and Korea, the next wave, is what, I think that Jay Powell's worried about too.' Photo by Fabian Albert on Unsplash Sony (NYSE:SONY) develops and sells electronics, gaming consoles, software, and digital content, and provides network services across gaming, video, and music. Additionally, the company also produces music, films, TV content, and provides broadband, imaging, storage, and financial services. Aristotle Capital Management, LLC stated the following regarding Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY) in its Q1 2025 investor letter: 'Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY), the global leader in video games, image sensors, music and movies, was the top contributor for the period. The company delivered strong quarterly results, driven primarily by its gaming and music businesses, and announced a new executive leadership structure. In gaming, Sony reported a record-high 129 million monthly active users, a 20% year-over year increase in PlayStation Plus revenue and an expanding user base, as 40% of new PS5 console buyers were new to the platform. The Music segment also continued to benefit from global streaming tailwinds, delivering double-digit profit growth. In a significant leadership transition, Sony announced that, effective April 1, 2025, Hiroki Totoki, currently COO and CFO, would succeed Kenichiro Yoshida as CEO. Our original investment in Sony was grounded in the strategic transformation led by Yoshida-san, where Totoki-san was an instrumental partner in driving Sony's pivot away from commoditized businesses while spearheading investments in content IP and semiconductors. Looking ahead, we continue to see opportunity for Sony to capitalize on its unique position as both a content creator and platform owner. The company's ability to integrate gaming, music, anime and film and leverage IP across platforms (e.g., Crunchyroll and its recent partnership with Kadokawa) should position it well for long-term value creation.' While we acknowledge the potential of SONY as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Is there a cold war brewing between LeBron James and Drake?
After more than a decade of friendship between NBA superstar LeBron James and the rapper Drake, it seems they are less close than they used to be. Back in 2018, after joining Drake on stage at a concert in Los Angeles, the basketball player reflected on his friendship with Drake. He said the two became friends in 2007 and had gotten close each and every year. Drake wore Bronny James' AAU jersey in a 2019 music video and brought both LeBron and Bronny out on the It's All A Blur tour in 2023. Everyone remembers the public beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, though. It eventually led to the latter winning several Grammy awards and a memorable Super Bowl halftime show, in which Drake was referenced. This was an especially interesting time for athletes who maintained friendships with both of the rappers, though. That includes basketball players like LeBron as well as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Curry and Durant have remained relatively quiet on the drama but LeBron has seemingly drawn party lines. April 2024: LeBron was originally somewhat neutral At first, it seemed like LeBron (who has long clamored for as much music as possible from Kendrick) was just excited to hear from both of these musicians. First, he tweeted an owl (a reference to Drake's OVO) and several fire emojis: At this point, only "First Person Shooter" (by Drake featuring J. Cole) and "Like That" (from Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar) were out. At that point, LeBron tweeted something likely about the beginnings of the beef. He said there was nothing like watching two "heavyweights" do what they do best. May 2024: LeBron referenced by Kendrick Lamar It didn't take long, however, until LeBron was actually brought into the middle of it all. Shortly after Drake dropped the "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle" tracks in April, Kendrick responded with "Europhia" and "6:16 in LA" at the end of the month. Drake then put out "Family Matters" and "Buried Alive Interlude, Pt. 2" in the beginning of May. While it was overshadowed by "Not Like Us" due to its massive success, Kendrick dropped "Meet the Grahams" on the same night. On that song, fans heard a direct reference to LeBron and Curry. Here is what Kendrick advised: "Ayy, LeBron, keep the family away, hey, Curry, keep the family away To anybody that embody the love for their kids, keep the family away They lookin' at you too if you standin' by him, keep the family away" That isn't exactly a subtle message from Kendrick. He suggests that anyone who loves their children should not affiliate with Drake. More: Ranking the 9 songs from the Kendrick Lamar-Drake beef from best to worst June 2024: LeBron attends The Pop Out The following month, once everything was released for the public, Kendrick celebrated the new songs at The Pop Out concert in Inglewood. Several NBA players, including a dancing Russell Westbrook, attended the show at The Forum. LeBron was seen vibing in the crowd, which probably didn't make his old friend Drake feel very good. From a public perspective, this was probably the most notable moment in whatever beef is brewing. But who knows what is happening behind the scenes? More: Kendrick Lamar's The Pop Out: Ken & Friends concert was an epic victory lap full of nostalgia and the best kind of pettiness January 2025: Drake freestyle and lots of messy unsourced gossip At the beginning of the year, Drake's "Fighting Irish Freestyle" was likely a reference to LeBron considering the basketball player played high school ball for the St. Vincent-St. Mary Fighting Irish in Ohio. As noted by Genius: "The track is filled with subtle references to their shared history." That same month, there were also some allegations via leaked (potentially fake) direct messages about LeBron from Drake to designer Chris Blake Griffith. DJ Akademiks also made some claims around this same time, but we should take those with a grain of salt. There probably isn't much to see here, but it's still an interesting wrinkle in the story considering what happened next. February 2025: Drake changes the lyrics to an old song Back in February, the rapper changed the lyrics while performing one of his 2018 songs from the Scorpion album. The lyrics to "Nonstop" originally included a reference to James but the new version made sure to clarify that the reference is NOT actually about him anymore. He has done this at other concerts whenever he chooses this song, too. July 2025: Drake changes body art and LeBron responds Earlier this month, per ESPN, Drake covered his LeBron tattoo with a new one dedicated to Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander, like Drake, is also Canadian. It didn't take long for LeBron to have his own retaliation, though. A few days later, LeBron was seen singing "Not Like Us" with several other important figures (including Jeff Bezos): LeBron also appeared alongside longtime Drake rival Pusha T in a new Tyler, The Creator music video. So while neither party has directly addressed the conflict, there is plenty of reason to think there is something going on between these two former friends.


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Ozzy Osbourne's sobriety struggles and how he overcame them
From the iconic "All Aboard!" to Black Sabbath's heavy metal legacy, Ozzy Osbourne had one of the most recognizable voices in modern history. The Grammy-winning "Prince of Darkness" and legendary rocker died July 22, just weeks after reuniting with Black Sabbath for a final show in England. He was 76. Osbourne was one of the most iconic figures in rock, molding the sound and perception of heavy metal with his one-of-a-kind voice and shocking antics. He followed his rock zenith with a reality TV career, making him as well known for biting the head off a bat on stage and eating a live dove in a meeting with record executives as he was for his bemusing bickering at home with his wife and kids. Fans also watched his well-documented journey overcoming addiction, and Osbourne ultimately achieved sobriety and released his penultimate 2020 album: 'Ordinary Man.' After the first year of sobriety, he could 'start breathing again' Osbourne, whose issues with alcoholism and drug addiction began in the 1970s and got him booted from Black Sabbath in 1979, grew serious about his sobriety around 2014 after numerous attempts at rehab and recovery dating back to 1984. In a recent interview, he told The Sun that he once drank 28 gallons of alcohol to get through the Christmas season. 'I thought I'd be drinking to the day I die,' Osbourne said in a 2021 interview with Variety. His wife and longtime manager, 'The Talk' co-host Sharon Osbourne, and son Jack, who at the time had been sober for 17 years, also joined him for the sit-down. 'I've always been self-medicating because I've never liked the way I felt. I've had great success in my life, but I've never felt great about myself,' he said in the interview. "Most of the people that I drank with are dead. And the ones that aren't, that still continue to drink, are going to be dead soon," Osbourne added. "It's not a happy ending.' Osbourne's son was also asked about his sobriety. 'The first year is the worst, isn't it Jack? After the first year it's like you can start breathing again,' Osbourne told his son. Life on a 'Crazy Train': A timeline of Ozzy Osbourne's odyssey 'Ordinary Man' was the first album Osbourne recorded 'completely sober' 'Ordinary Man' tapped into the darker side of sobriety with "Straight to Hell," an anti-drug song featuring rapper Post Malone that recalls a wild, 1972 moment of Osbourne's drug life with Black Sabbath. While recording near Bel Air, California, police swarmed the band's rented house filled with cocaine and marijuana after Osbourne accidentally set off an alarm, thinking it was air conditioning. In a 2020 interview with Apple Music, Osbourne said the album was the first project he's completed sober. "I thought it was the drugs and the alcohol that made it all work," he said. "But it's not true. All I was doing for years was self-medicating because I didn't like the way I felt. But then this is the first album I've co-wrote and recorded (expletive) completely sober. The last album, I wrote some of it stoned." Osbourne admitted, "I quite like being sober now. 'Cause at least I can remember the (expletive) thing I did yesterday.'' Osbourne dies at 76, weeks after final Black Sabbath show A family statement shared with USA TODAY said Osbourne died in Birmingham, England, "surrounded by love." "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy has passed away this morning," the statement read. "He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time." Ozzy Osbourne was diagnosed with a form of Parkinson's disease in 2019 after he suffered a bad fall that "screwed up all the vertebrae" in his neck, leading to the cancellation of a European tour. Osbourne kept his struggles private but eventually wanted to share with his fans. He leaves behind Sharon Osbourne, his wife of more than 40 years, as well as daughters Jessica, Aimee and Kelly and sons Elliot, Louis and Jack. Less than two weeks before his death, a new memoir from Osbourne called "Last Rites" was announced (releasing Oct. 7 from Grand Central Publishing Group). The publisher describes it as "the shocking, bitterly hilarious, never-before-told story of Osbourne's descent into hell." In the book, Osbourne says, "Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a lot of things. I've done good… and I've done bad. But right now, I'm not ready to go anywhere." Contributing: Melissa Ruggieri, Jim Sergent, Carlie Procell and Sara M. Moniuszko