Scream OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a major family reunion. This new chapter marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a character you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Favorites

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the return of the beloved and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a brief appearance is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he received the offer from the series creator.

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

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the years since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now represented in each and every Ghostface mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular series.

"The outcome is either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I don't know if the film will gonna work. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people come out 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 mess up the series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While countless dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a strange communal situation. The chance of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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