Ryan Phillippe's absence from 'I Know What You Did Last Summer 2' explained

Ryan Phillippe may be missing from the latest I Know What You Did Last Summer revival, but it's not due to lack of affection for the original star.

Despite three of Ryan’s castmates returning to reprise their iconic roles in the new installment, the actor, who played Barry Cox in the 1997 cult classic, doesn’t make a cameo in the film currently in theaters.

According to producer Neal H. Moritz, who has been with the franchise since its inception, fitting Ryan into a story already packed with nods to the past just wasn’t in the cards, per PEOPLE Magazine.

“It would've been pushing it,” he told the publication, referencing the movie’s abundance of nostalgic Easter eggs.

Director and co-writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson echoed that sentiment, assuring fans that actor's absence wasn’t personal. 

“It just got to be too much,” she explained. 

“We have a Barry Cox mention. He gets a shout-out. But, yeah, it started to feel like too many ideas.”

Still, Robinson hinted that the door isn’t closed for a future return. “It is not for a lack of love of Ryan — he is amazing,” she gushed. 

She concluded by saying, “And I do think there is a very fun way to integrate Ryan into a sequel that I hope happens.”