Scream OG Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

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

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Favorites

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the return of the beloved and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a brief appearance is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he got the news from the series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "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 premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling significant anxiety about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular series.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I have no idea 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 returning to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the series. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Run High

While countless dedicated fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are somehow still living in a strange shared scenario. The possibility of a self-referential story, inspired by classic genre films, also exists.

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