Scream OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Ruin the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a massive family reunion. This latest installment signals the iconic return of Neve Campbell as survivor 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 making a comeback.

"Returning to a role you portrayed in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Characters

It has been established that a trio of distinct characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a brief cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "Therefore 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 original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now embodied in each and every Scream mask that appears every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"The outcome is either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I have no idea if the film will gonna work. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the series. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange communal scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

Moviegoers will find out the truth when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.