Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic comeback 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.

"Returning to a role you played in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that three distinct characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The precise method of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the original writer.

"I remember the conversation. I remember the small talk. I recall him asking. That moment 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 attained cult status in the decades since the original film was released, which left Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, for better or worse," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the beloved franchise.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this idea?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the series. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While many dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, similar to a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange shared scenario. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, inspired by classic genre films, also is on the table.

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