Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Ruin the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

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

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallen Characters

It has been established that three distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The precise method of their return is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Status

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

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

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, for better or worse," he notes. "A part that is now represented in every single Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular franchise.

"The outcome is either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the movie's be successful. I don't know if people want 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 truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Run High

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Or, perhaps they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal scenario. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also exists.

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