Ghostface OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a character you played in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that a trio of different characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, even though dying in prior movies. The precise method of their return remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the exact moment he got the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the conversation. I remember the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the decades since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he notes. "A part that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who damages the beloved series.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I have no idea if the film will gonna work. 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 trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While countless dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a strange communal situation. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

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