Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," the actor reveals.

A Triumphant Return for Fallen Favorites

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a small cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he received the news from the original writer.

"I remember the phone call. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he states. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie was released, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A part that is now represented in each and every Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses 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 fail," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Run High

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a strange shared scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also exists.

Moviegoers will find out the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.