Scream OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Series 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 marks the iconic 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 won't be the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a character you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," Lillard admits.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Characters

It has been established that three distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first occasion since a brief appearance is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he got the news from the original writer.

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

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

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

"The outcome is either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's be successful. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return persists. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are in some way all alive in a bizarre communal situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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