Scream Original Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a major family reunion. This new chapter marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard reveals.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Favorites

It has been established that three different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker 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, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a brief appearance is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he got the news from the series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

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

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that appears every Halloween."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who damages the popular series.

"The outcome is 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 are eager to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people state 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 leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, similar to a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are somehow still living in a strange shared situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also is on the table.

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