Ghostface Original Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise 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 major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, as usual, be alongside 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 played in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that three different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The precise method of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the phone call. I recall the small talk. I recall him asking. That moment is indelibly imprinted 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 decades since the 1996 movie was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that appears every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"The outcome is either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've certainly 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 pressure to not ruin the franchise. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Run High

While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are somehow still living in a bizarre communal situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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