Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7.

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 new chapter signals the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside 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 in your fifties was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters

It has been established that three distinct 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 resurrection is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he received the news from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the decades since the original film was released, which left Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "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 enough 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 responsibility to not ruin the series. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Excitement Run High

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow all alive in a bizarre communal scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror narrative, inspired by earlier genre films, also is on the table.

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