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

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a massive family reunion. This latest installment marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a role you portrayed in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," the actor 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 dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a small cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he received the offer from the series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he states. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie was released, which left Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the beloved franchise.

"The outcome is either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I am unsure 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 trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the franchise. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way still living in a strange shared scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

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