Ghostface OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a small cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. 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 iconic status in the years since the original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he notes. "A part that is now represented in each and every Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fans

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular series.

"The outcome is either a hit 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 don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Abound

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a bizarre communal situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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