Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive family reunion. This new chapter signals the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Coming back to a character you played in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," the actor reveals.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Favorites

Reports have confirmed that a trio of distinct characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in prior movies. The precise method of their return is still unclear. Fans should prepare for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a small cameo is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he got the offer from the original writer.

"I remember the conversation. I recall the small talk. I recall him posing the question. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "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 was released, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

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

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"The outcome is either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will be successful. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Run High

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange shared situation. The possibility of a meta-horror story, inspired by earlier genre films, also exists.

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