A Legacy Reimagined

Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge), the 2025 sequel brings back original cast members Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., reprising their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson. Their return is expected to draw longtime fans. While the introduction of new characters played by Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, and Jonah Hauer-King aims to captivate a younger audience. The plot mirrors the original’s premise. A group of teenagers is stalked by a mysterious figure after covering up a deadly accident. This time, they seek guidance from survivors of the previous Southport Massacre .

Normally, predicting a box office for a reboot of a horror series from nearly 30 years ago would be difficult. But luckily for box office analysts there is a comp directly tied to the this one.

Scream.

The Scream franchise and I Know What You Did Last Summer are intrinsically linked in horror history, both culturally and creatively, as they helped define the teen slasher revival of the late 1990s. Their connection runs deep: both were penned by Kevin Williamson, whose sharp writing injected self-awareness and wit into a genre that had grown formulaic. Over time, these franchises became cultural touchstones, not just for their scares, but for how they captured the voice and style of late-’90s youth.

Scream (1996): $103M US / 173M Global
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997): 72.6M US / 125.3 Global

Both franchise would continue to release sequels both theatrical and direct to video, with both experiencing diminish returns. Before a 22 years break when Scream got a proper reboot and subsequent sequel.

Scream (2022): $81.6M US / 137.7M Global
Scream VI (2023): 108.4M US / 166.6M Global

Scream (2022) is the closest comparison for the IKWYDLS (2025). It represents about a 20% drop from the original release box office. This puts IKNWDLS (2025) right around 100M. The only issue is releasing during an incredibly crowded July 18th weekend. It faces off against the 3rd weekend of Jurassic World: Rebirth and the 2nd weekend of Superman. A week later Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens. If things don’t go well opening weekend, IKNWDLS will be in big trouble.

Our Official Prediction:

18M Opening Weekend / 52.5M US / 90M Global