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

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a major family reunion. This latest installment marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a role you played in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," Lillard reveals.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that three distinct characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a small cameo is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The actor vividly recalls the precise instant he received the news from the series creator.

"I remember the phone call. I recall the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"The reality is, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the finished film. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, I don't know if the film will gonna work. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The chance of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

Moviegoers will discover the truth when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.