Ghostface OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Ruin the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a massive family reunion. This new chapter signals the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from earlier films are set to return in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and third film killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he received the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he states. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

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

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, for better or worse," he notes. "A part that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He admits to feeling immense pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages the beloved 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 have no idea if the film will be successful. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others return persists. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow all alive in a strange shared situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, inspired by classic genre films, also is on the table.

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