Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a major family reunion. This new chapter signals the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

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

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Favorites

It has been established that three different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The precise method of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should get ready for the return of the endearing and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a brief cameo is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he got the news from the original writer.

"I remember the phone call. I recall the small talk. I remember him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has attained cult status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

"The reality is, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," 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 production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling immense pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular series.

"It's either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I don't know if the film will be successful. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way still living in a strange communal scenario. The chance of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also is on the table.

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