Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series 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 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 aren't the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," Lillard reveals.

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallen Favorites

It has been established that three different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he got the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the phone call. I remember the small talk. I remember him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "So 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 premiered, which left Lillard feeling very nervous.

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now represented in each and every Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who damages the beloved franchise.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I don't know if the film will be successful. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen enough people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, similar to a prior storyline. Or, perhaps they are in some way still living in a strange shared scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror narrative, reminiscent of classic horror movies, also is on the table.

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