While the death of her character, Helen Shivers, remains one of the franchise’s saddest deaths, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s unofficial role in the upcomingI Know What You Did Last Summerlegacy sequel can be key to its success.Do Revenge’s Jennifer Kaytin Robinson will direct the sequel to the famous 90s teen slasher based on Lois Duncan’s novel. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is a part of theI Know What You Did Last Summercast, set to reprise his role as Ray Bronson, who will likely help a new group of teens being targeted by a familiar, vengeful fisherman.

Robinson confirmed theI Know What You Did Last Summersequel will follow the canonof the first two movies. Jennifer Love Hewitt has not made definite comments about a return as Julie James, although it would help the franchise compete withScream 7.Sarah Michelle Gellar’s confirmed work inI Know What You Did Last Summeris exciting — considering her popular role in the first installment and her close relationship with members of the current production. However, it’s important that canon is maintained and retcons to her character’s fate are avoided.

I Know What You Did Last Summer Karla Julie Ray

I Know What You Did Last Summer Bringing Back Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Helen Would Be A Mistake

Reviving Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Helen Would Hurt The I Know What You Did Last Summer Canon

Sarah Michelle Gellar turned a character trope into someone to root for and later mourn. On the surface, Helen is a pageant queen who wants to be an actress. Underneath, she is a neglected daughter to an alcoholic father, whose dream to escape her troubled home life is shattered by a teenage mistake. Even if she shares responsibility for covering up what the group did toBen Benson inI Know What You Did Last Summer,she later proves to be a faithful friend to Julie. Not to mention, she gains her Scream Queen badge in the movie’s best persecution sequence — when she demonstrates intelligence, bravery, and physical strength.

While Helen’s popularity is unquestionable, her revival would hurt the sequel more than it would help it, disrupting theI Know What You Did Last Summercanon and deviating the attention given to the new group.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) Official poster)

Although slashers are known for theridiculous ways characters survive death, theI Know What You Did Last Summersequel walks a thin line if it suggests that the original fisherman is back for vengeance.It would be hard to fathom the notion that Gellar’s character is also alive, being that she was killed on-screen, and her death remained part of Julie’s trauma in the second installment. While Helen’s popularity is unquestionable, her revival would hurt the sequel more than it would help it, disrupting theI Know What You Did Last Summercanon and deviating the attention given to the new group.

Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Knowledge Of I Know What You Did Last Summer Can Help The Sequel Succeed

Sarah Michelle Gellar Is Helping The I Know What You Did Last Summer Sequel Director With Character Continuity

Sarah Michelle Gellar recently debunked all rumors of a retcon that makes Helen an active part of theI Know What You Did Last Summersequel, tellingPeople, “I am dead.” However, she mentioned having an unofficial job helping her best friend, director and writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, with character continuity. Gellar can no doubt offer her insider knowledge to inform and sustain the actions of legacy survivors. She and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. are the only legacy members of the current production, and their experience becomes key in helping it emulate what made the first installment so successful.

I Really Need The New I Know What You Did Last Summer Movie To Avoid This Legacy Sequel Tradition

The new I Know What You Did Last Summer movie is officially bringing back an original character, and I need it to avoid a legacy sequel tradition.

The actress' advice can also help the new young characters, making their struggles and group chemistry as epic as that of Julie, Ray, Helen, and Barry. Gellar claimed she tells Robinson, “That would happen, or that wouldn’t happen with those characters.” She seems aware that the franchise demands certain behaviors from its characters, hinting at the first group’s heavy guilt and deep-down desire to right what was wronged while escaping being exposed as killers. Hopefully, Gellar’s comments are heeded andI Know What You Did Last Summer’ssequel sidesteps any misguided decisions for fan service or worse, an unnecessary follow-up that is in it only for shock value.