Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter signals the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

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

A Triumphant Return for Fallon Characters

It has been established that three distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer 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 time since a brief appearance is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he got the news from the original writer.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which left Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now represented in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that production has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who damages the beloved franchise.

"It's either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I don't know if the film will be successful. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back 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 was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Excitement Run High

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Perhaps they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Or, maybe they are in some way all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic horror movies, also is on the table.

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