Fans (and the singer herself) have all expressed interest in having the singer reprise her role from the 1998 sequel.
(L-R): Brandy Norwood, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mekhi Phifer in ‘I Still Know What You Did Last Summer’
Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection
Calling all I Know What You Did Last Summer fans! The rumors are true, and yes, there are spoilers ahead.
Brandy has reprised her role as Karla Wilson in the new remake of the 1997 classic slasher film and appears in the movie’s post-credits scene. The camera cuts to an interior shot of a beautiful home, and viewers first see her partner, played by Isaiah Mustafa. Then, it pans to Karla watching the news about her former college roommate/estranged friend, Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who once again survived an attack by a murderous duo— one of whom she knew quite intimately.
“People are always tryna kill that woman […] I hope she’s in therapy,” Karla quips.
Moments later, Julie shows up at Karla’s doorstep with an old photo of them, featuring a red “X” etched across Karla’s face with a message that reads, “It isn’t over.” Karla responded, “Who are we f**king up this time?” To which Julie fires back, “I was really hoping you were gonna say that.” It was the perfect setup for another installment of the horror franchise starring two of horror’s most iconic final girls.
Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brandy Norwood in 1998’s ‘I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.’
© Columbia Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection
Of the surprise cameo that remained under wraps until the film premiered, director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson told PEOPLE, “I always knew I wanted Brandy in this movie. There was no movie without Brandy. But I think you don’t want to just shove someone into a story.”
Robinson added that Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.) and Julie “are both very purposefully woven into this movie. To me, the fun of bringing back this franchise is kind of following the rules of the first two movies. So it always felt the most right to bring Brandy back to set up a sequel that she would then be in.”
With Julie having forced herself into complete isolation, Robinson shared, “It didn’t feel right to me that she would still be best friends with Karla, because I think she would want to protect Karla. So, you needed a thrust to get them back together, and the events of this movie is that thrust that then pulls them back toward each other.”
Hewitt described reuniting with Brandy as “really great,” explaining, “We just kept looking at each other. It was just really funny. We were just so happy to be back together. I think she really felt like I did, just so deeply grateful for this opportunity. It’s just so fun.”
Producer Neal H. Moritz, who also worked on the original films from 1997 and 1998 respectively, admitted, “We always in the back of our minds had the idea to bring [Brandy] back. We weren’t sure how we were going to bring her back. The way that she is in the movie is a little different than was originally planned. We changed it at the last minute to have her and Jennifer do the scene together. It was a very different scene, and I think this was good.”
Brandy first expressed interest in returning to the franchise in August 2024 and teased to The Hollywood Reporter, “I need them to give me a call because I survived in that movie! I came out in the end, bloodied up, ready to go. I did not die in that film.”
I Know What You Did Last Summer is in theaters now.