Ghostface Original Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a massive family reunion. This new chapter signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor 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 returning to the fray.

"Returning to a character you played in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard reveals.

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that three different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Audiences should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a small appearance is a long-held wish, though he is terrified about the public's reaction. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the series creator.

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

Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which left Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling immense pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular series.

"The outcome is either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," 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 certainly seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Anticipation Run High

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a strange shared situation. The chance of a self-referential narrative, inspired by earlier horror movies, also is on the table.

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