“I am a true child of that time”: I Know What You Did Last Summer director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson on making the reboot for Gen Z

Released in 1997, I Know What You Did Last Summer is a stone-cold classic among millennials, who were either stepping into their teenage years or growing past it when the film arrived in theaters.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who directs the 2025 legacy sequel, is a part of this generation. She was barely 9 years old when the original film came to cinemas. To preface, it's an R-rated slasher film about a killer on the loose. Still, Robinson somehow ended up at the theater watching the on-screen massacre, all because her babysitter brought her there!

Robinson shared these details during her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where she spoke about her cinematic roots as a millennial child.

“I am a true child of that time. I could lie and say that I came up on really important films, like film bro films, but I was forged in ’90s cinema,” she said.

The director revealed that she grew up on similar '90s cinema that shaped her understanding of filmmaking. It led her to work not only on the new I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, but on Do Revenge, the 2022 movie that seemingly referenced classic films from that decade, whether it's Clueless (1995), Cruel Intentions (1999), or more.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson reboots a millennial-adjacent franchise with Gen Z youth.

The 1997 film was about a group of millennials trying to cover up a man slaughter they were responsible for. Three decades later, we get a legacy sequel that revolves around a near-identical set-up. Once again, it's about young people getting haunted by their past; the more they try to run away from it.

The key difference is that we meet Gen Z 20-somethings going through it all. They are not driven by the fears of urban legends that the prior group was aware of, even before they committed the crime.

Those teens grew up in an era before cell phones became increasingly common and before the advent of social media. So, it's a tricky narrative to translate with a string of Gen Z characters for a new generation.

Still, the director wasn't afraid of this challenge. She knew that, no matter what generation, we have similar fears and anxieties.

“The core idea is completely evergreen. At any point, in any time, someone making a grave mistake and then paying for it can work as a story,” she says.

Robinson highlighted the dramatic hook that pulls them all together. It's not just the specifics of their situation but also the underlying emotions that drive the overarching narrative.

The legacy sequel follows mid-20s folks instead of teens from I Know What You Did Last Summer.

The new I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel doesn't follow teenagers, but adults, and there's a creative reason for this change. Robinson's co-writer, Sam Lansky, highlighted why during the THR interview.

“What’s actually at stake is much more nebulous [in high school] than it is when you’re in your mid-20s.”

As kids, we may not fully grasp what's at stake. So, by following adults who are well aware of the consequences, the writers could bring their journey to life with more specificity, offering finer details into their psychological journey.

Speaking about specificity, the new characters are from a different generation, often defined by their over-dependence on social media like TikTok. Still, the millennial writers didn't necessarily do any research in this case for a reason. When asked about the film's dialogues and the "Gen Z lingo," Lansky said,

“That is extremely just how Jen and I talk. I am, at my heart, a Gen Z, brain rot girlie, despite being an aging Millennial.”

Fans can watch the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel at the theaters now.

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Also read: I Know What You Did Last Summer ending explained: Why the killer strikes again and who survives, explored

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