Scream OG Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Ruin the Series with Scream 7.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Favorites

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to 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 series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched 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 years since the 1996 movie premiered, which left Lillard feeling quite nervous.

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

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the final product. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting to be the one who damages the beloved franchise.

"It's 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 movie's be successful. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the reality 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 reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow still living in a bizarre communal situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, inspired by earlier horror movies, also exists.

Moviegoers will discover the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.