Thrilling Viral Campaign Sparks Fear in New Yorkers

A striking advertising stunt promoting the latest “I Know What You Did Last Summer” film has caused alarm across New York City, from Coney Island to Manhattan. The campaign features a figure resembling the iconic villain from the 1997 horror movie — dressed in a long black cloak, rubber boots, a bucket hat, and wielding a gleaming fishing hook — appearing in various surveillance videos circulating online.

One notable clip shows the masked individual sneaking up behind a group of nine teenage boys walking along the South Street Seaport at night, prompting them to sprint away in panic after they spot the suspicious figure, who holds a shiny sickle. Another video captures the same figure lurking behind pedestrians on the Staten Island Ferry, causing an audience member to glance repeatedly over her shoulder before fleeing.

Daylight didn’t offer protection either. Footage reveals the figure shadowing a woman in Battery Park in the early morning hours of July 11, seemingly unnoticed by street vendors nearby. The eerie presence was also seen among a captivated crowd on the Staten Island Ferry, further fueling the widespread speculation that this stunt is part of a promotional campaign.

Some social media users believe the mysterious appearances, including one where a woman on the Chelsea Highline looks nervously over her shoulder at a figure about five feet behind her, are calculated efforts to generate buzz for the upcoming sequel, which features stars such as Madelyn Cline, Freddie Prinze Jr., and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

As intrigue and fear mount, Sony Pictures has yet to comment on the campaign’s true intentions, leaving many to wonder if it’s merely a marketing ploy or something more sinister.