Scream Original Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals 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 reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a role you portrayed in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

A Triumphant Return for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the exact moment he got the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the conversation. I recall the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which left Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now represented in every single Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fans

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular series.

"The outcome is either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this idea?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way still living in a strange communal situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also exists.

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