Ghostface OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series 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 marks the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

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

A Triumphant Return for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the decades since the 1996 movie was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"The reality is, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now represented in every single Scream mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense pressure about hoping not to be the one who ruins the beloved franchise.

"The outcome is either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've certainly seen enough people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's mind, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow all alive in a strange shared scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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