Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, as usual, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

It has been established that a trio of different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a long-held wish, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the original writer.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the years since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"The reality is, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," 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 production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages 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 am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen enough 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 pressure to not mess up the series. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Run High

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Or, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared scenario. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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