Despite the return of his co-stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe is notably absent from the latest installment of I Know What You Did Last Summer.
The 2023 sequel to the 1997 slasher film brings back the beloved characters of Julie James (Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Prinze), who survived the vengeful fisherman killer from the original film.
However, despite his character, Barry Cox, having been a central part of the first film, Phillippe doesn’t reprise his role in this new chapter. While Barry’s death was an integral part of the original film, and his name appears on a tombstone, Phillippe doesn’t return for even a cameo.
Why Ryan Phillippe Isn’t in the Sequel
Producer Neal H. Moritz, who has been with the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise from the very beginning, explained that there were simply too many nostalgic elements and cameos in the new film to include a Phillippe appearance.
“Squeezing in a Phillippe cameo in a movie already full of nostalgic Easter eggs would’ve been pushing it,” Moritz told PEOPLE.
Director and co-writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson echoed this sentiment, saying that while there’s a mention of Barry Cox in the film, it was a balancing act not to overcrowd the movie with too many ideas. “It just got to be too much,” Robinson explained.
“We have a Barry Cox mention. He gets a shout-out. But, yeah, it started to feel like too many ideas.” She made it clear that the decision wasn’t due to any lack of love for Phillippe. “He is amazing,” she added. “And I do think there is a very fun way to integrate Ryan into a sequel that I hope happens.”
Ryan Phillippe Jokes About His Career and Iconic Roles
In a light-hearted moment, Phillippe himself joked about his tendency to be killed off in films, which limits his opportunities to return for sequels. On the Just for Variety podcast in May, he quipped, “I feel like I made the wrong move dying in all of these projects because then when they’re resurrected, I don’t get to be a part of them.”
He continued, “I used to think it was cool. I’m like, ‘If I could take a character to their last moment.’ Now, I’m like, ‘What are you thinking? No, you want to live in case there’s more movies to be made.'”
Despite this, he expressed pride in the lasting cultural impact of his earlier films, including I Know What You Did Last Summer. “It definitely makes you feel like a dinosaur or aware of your age,” he said, “But at the same time it’s a compliment to something that you were a part of that succeeded.”
The Legacy of I Know What You Did Last Summer
For Moritz, the creation of the new film was a “full-circle moment,” especially considering how significant the original film was to his career. He recalled I Know What You Did Last Summer as the “first real hit” he experienced, and the new film was created with the goal of honoring the past while offering something fresh for both old fans and new audiences.
Moritz emphasized that the goal was to make a sequel that stood on its own and justified its existence, adding, “There needed to be a reason for it to exist, and I think we came up with that reason. The past and the present coming together was a great kind of hook idea.”
What’s Next for the I Know What You Did Last Summer Franchise?
While Phillippe isn’t part of the 2023 film, the possibility remains for his return in a future I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, as Moritz and Robinson both hinted at ways to bring his character back in an exciting and meaningful way.
I Know What You Did Last Summer is currently in theaters now, continuing the story of the vengeful fisherman and the survivors of the deadly summer night.
