In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, writer-director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson revealed the difficulties she faced in trying to incorporate Sarah Michelle Gellar’s iconic character, Helen Shivers, into the upcoming reboot of “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

The Challenge of Reviving a Character

Despite Robinson’s extensive efforts—including humorous pitches suggesting that Helen could be alive but in hiding—she acknowledged the definitive fate of Gellar’s character. “I tried, okay? I harassed her! But she is dead,” said Robinson. “I tried to pitch some crazy shit too. I was like, ‘What if it’s like you weren’t dead and you’re actually alive, but in hiding?’ And Sarah’s like, ‘I was on ice. I was the most dead a person could be. You can see my frozen body.’”

Gellar’s Confirmed Absence and Role

Confirming Robinson’s statements, Gellar previously clarified her position, stating unequivocally that her character is “dead.” She acknowledged her close friendship with Robinson, mentioning that she serves in an unofficial capacity for the new film, helping maintain continuity with the original characters. “My best friend [Robinson] is directing it, so we joke that I have an unofficial job, which is I am continuity,” Gellar noted. “I’m always the one telling her, ‘Well, that would happen, or that wouldn’t happen with those characters,’ so I do have kind of an unofficial job title.”

The New Cast and Release Date

While Gellar will not be reprising her role, the reboot will feature original stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. alongside a fresh cast that includes Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Lola Tung, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Austin Nichols, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, Billy Campbell, and Gabbriette.

The reboot of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” is scheduled for release on July 18.