I Know What You Did Last Summer Needed A Killer Who Wouldn’t Stay In Character

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” had a lot going for it. It featured tried and true slasher tropes, hot young stars, a villain powered by an urban legend, and earned $125 million worldwide. These were all signs that a franchise could be successful. In spite of this, the sequel, “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” was a hopeless flop, grossing only $40 million dollars, and the final film, “I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” sealed the franchise’s doom.

For one film, the man with a hook was a decent baddie, but audiences quickly grew tired of his silent stalking, predictable killings, and repetitive storyline. Of course, successful horror franchises with all of these elements exist, such as “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th,” but those are classics with well-established fanbases, and slapping a new face or hook on the same formula is no longer a guarantee of success.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” was intended to capitalize on the success of “Scream,” but the franchise ultimately suffered from the comparison. Thanks to “Scream,” the best killers of the late ’90s and 2000s embraced their inner demons, and killed their prey in smart, witty, and increasingly interesting ways. Or, at the very least, they sprinkled a decent movie reference over their intended victims before taking them out. The silent fisherman with an apathetic attitude and a hook never had a chance of competing with them.