Ghostface OG Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil 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 preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters making a comeback.

"Coming back to a role you played in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters

It has been established that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a small cameo is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the original writer.

"I remember the phone call. I remember the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

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

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Scream mask that appears every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"The outcome is either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've certainly 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 responsibility to not mess up the series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Run High

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The possibility of a meta-horror story, inspired by earlier genre films, also is on the table.

Audiences will find out the truth when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.