Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Characters

It has been established that three different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he got the news from the series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I remember him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he says. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the years since the original film was released, which left Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that appears every Halloween."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He admits to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who damages the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the film will be successful. I don't know if people want to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Or, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a bizarre communal scenario. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also exists.

Audiences will discover the truth when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.