Scream OG Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a role you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," the actor admits.

A Triumphant 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, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a brief appearance is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the precise instant he got the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the phone call. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," 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 original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, 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 October 31st."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will gonna work. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, similar to a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are somehow still living in a strange shared situation. The chance of a meta-horror narrative, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also exists.

Moviegoers will discover the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.