Ghostface Original Star the Actor Fears He Could Ruin the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a role you played in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard reveals.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, even though dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and third film killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the precise instant he got the news from the series creator.

"I remember the conversation. I recall the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which left Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans

Now that filming has concluded, 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 series.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, I have no idea if the film will gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the franchise. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Run High

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Or, perhaps they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal situation. The chance of a meta-horror narrative, inspired by earlier genre films, also exists.

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