Scream OG Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the legendary comeback 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 aren't the only beloved characters making a comeback.

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

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallen Favorites

Reports have confirmed that a trio of distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, though he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he received the news from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which left Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," 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 in the same position like the rest of us to see the finished film. He admits to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular franchise.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will gonna work. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of 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 responsibility to not mess up the series. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Anticipation Run High

While many dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others return persists. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow all alive in a strange shared scenario. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

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