Slasher fans, we’ve got some intriguing news! The ’90s are officially returning to haunt us in a whole new way. The latest I Know What You Did Last Summer installment trailer was released earlier this week. THR is reporting that an Urban Legend reboot is officially in the early stages of development. A modern-era take on that classic late ’90s slasher flick is coming!
Behind the Camera
According to THR’s intel, the new version of the 1998 horror movie is being penned by Shanrah Wakefield (Kidnapped). Gary Dauberman, one of the writers of the upcoming Until Dawn adaptation, is producing under his production company, Coin Operated. Adding a touch of legacy to the project, Neal Moritz, who produced the original Urban Legend, is reportedly in talks to come back and produce the reboot.
A Modern Take
Right now, details are pretty scarce. There’s no word yet on casting or potential directors. However, THR’s report does drop an intriguing hint about the film’s direction, noting that it aims to be an “examination of what an urban legend looks like in a post-digital world.” Think about it—urban legends in the age of viral videos, social media scares, and deepfakes? The potential for terrifyingly relevant horror is definitely there.
For those needing a quick rewind, the original Urban Legend hit theaters in 1998 and was directed by Jamie Blanks. The movie featured a cast of young stars, including a young Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, and the always fantastic Loretta Devine. Tara Reid, Michael Rosenbaum, and even horror icon Robert Englund starred!
The Original
The plot of the original movie centered around a series of gruesome murders taking place at a New England university. The terrifying twist? These killings were directly inspired by various popular urban legends circulating at the time. We’re talking about deadly scenarios ripped straight from whispered tales, like the fatal combination of drinking soda with Pop Rocks, flashing your headlights at oncoming cars on a dark road, and other creepy cautionary tales. While it wasn’t a massive blockbuster, the original movie was a moderate success and is remembered mainly for being one of the first films to help redistribute many classic urban legends to a broader audience. The movie spawned two sequels, Urban Legends: Final Cut in 2000 and Urban Legends: Bloody Mary in 2005.
With this reboot aiming to tackle urban legends in our hyper-connected, digital age, it’s exciting (and maybe a little terrifying) to think about what new fears and anxieties will be mined for scares. What viral challenges or online myths could inspire a new wave of kills? We’ll have to wait and see, but one thing’s for sure: you might want to think twice before sharing that creepy chain message or clicking on that unsettling viral video. You never know what new urban legend might lurk around the digital corner or in the shadows of your neighborhood.
If you want to relive the terror of Urban Legends or watch it for the first time, it’s streaming on Pluto and Prime Video. Watch the original trailer below.
