The Fisherman is back in I Know What You Did Last Summer, and his hook is sharper than ever. Just ask star Madelyn Cline (Glass Onion, “Stranger Things”), whose character Danica becomes ruthlessly targeted by the killer.
Danica bears obvious parallels to the original slasher’s Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), including an ill-fated Fourth of July road accident that puts her and her four friends in the Fisherman’s crosshairs. That also extends to the character’s survival instincts, especially when it comes to the franchise’s beloved staple: chase sequences.
That the Fisherman is more vicious than ever meant a physically demanding role thanks to multiple chase scenes and harrowing encounters. It’s probably worth noting, then, that I Know What You Did Last Summer marks Cline’s first slasher role. It was a challenge that Cline was excited to tackle, picking up a few slasher tricks along the way.
“First of all, chase sequences are awesome,” Cline tells Bloody Disgusting. “I got so excited that I got a good couple in there. Tricks-wise, chase sequences are very physical. Everything is heightened. You think about it; I guess in terms of adrenaline, it’s a lot of physical triggers. Breathing is a big one, and psyching yourself out physically to help with the translation of it, in a way. Then also, just putting yourself in the shoes. ‘Oh, my God, I’m being chased by a psycho.’ Once you put everything through that filter, it makes it pretty, ‘Okay, let’s roll.’ There’s a theatrical element to it. It’s classic. It’s so fun, you ham it up, you know what I mean?”
Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson told us in a separate interview, “I just wanted to make sure that [the chase sequences] were from a place of story and character and that they were being built to aid in the whole picture and not just be chase sequences. I do think that’s what makes Helen’s chase sequence so iconic, because it is so grounded in that story.”
She teases, “There’s a death closer towards the end of the second act that really is meant to kind of have those peaks and valleys where it’s like, ‘Is this person going to get out, are they not going to get out, is someone going to save them, are they going to see them’… and then ultimately they meet their demise. So yeah, I wanted to put my own stamp on it, but really using the principles from the first movie as my guiding light.”
Speaking of that first movie, Kaytin Robinson and Madelyn Cline had legacy cast members Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. at their disposal for this new installment.
Cline shared what it was like having them on set. “We had a lot of conversations, and obviously, we wanted to pick their brains a little bit, but also, at the same time, I think we were just so psyched that they were there. We were just so happy to hear their stories from their time filming the original and what it was like for them. They were so sweet and kind and complimentary, and they would obviously give their two cents and their advice, and it was always so welcome.
“But I think mostly we just wanted to watch them work. And they came back to give us their blessing in a way and usher us into the universe. We were just happy to be there and to watch them and soak up every bit of how they move and operate, just for ourselves.”
See how Cline’s character, Danica, fares against the Fisherman when I Know What You Did Last Summer hooks into theaters on July 18, 2025.
Madelyn Cline in Columbia Pictures I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER
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