Ghostface OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Ruin the Series with Scream 7.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals 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 returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard reveals.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Characters

It has been established that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, even though meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a small appearance is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he got the offer from the original writer.

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

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A part that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that appears every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will be successful. I don't know if people are eager 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 sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Anticipation Run High

While countless dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Or, perhaps they are in some way still living in a strange shared situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, inspired by classic genre films, also exists.

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