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

The highly anticipated 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 latest installment signals the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a role you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

It has been established that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the public's reaction. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he got the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he states. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He confesses to feeling immense pressure about hoping not to be the one who ruins the beloved series.

"The outcome is either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the film will be successful. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a bizarre communal situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also exists.

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