Scream OG Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a character you portrayed 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 Fallen Favorites

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, even though dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the return of the endearing and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the director and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a brief appearance is a dream come true, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he received the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the phone call. I recall the small talk. I remember him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the years since the original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"The reality is, that's a role that is infamous, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that appears every Halloween."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, 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 returning to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The chance of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of classic horror movies, also is on the table.

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