Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Ruin the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel 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 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 mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

It has been established that three distinct characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should prepare for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member 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 small appearance is a dream come true, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he received the offer from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which left Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

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

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"The outcome is either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will gonna work. 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 going back to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Run High

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Or, maybe they are in some way still living in a strange shared situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also exists.

Audiences will discover the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.