Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, as usual, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback.

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

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a brief cameo is a dream come true, though he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he received the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the phone call. I remember the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the years since the 1996 movie 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 character that is now represented in every single Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I am unsure if people are eager 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 series. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Or, perhaps they are somehow still living in a strange communal scenario. The chance of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

Audiences will discover the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.