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

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Coming back to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," the actor reveals.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallen Characters

It has been established that a trio of distinct characters from past films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he received the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the small talk. I recall him asking. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

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

"The reality is, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A part that is now represented in every single Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

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

"The outcome is 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 movie's be successful. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Abound

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow all alive in a strange shared scenario. The chance of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

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