🔗 Share this article Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7. The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback. "Coming back to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits. An Unexpected Comeback for Fallen Favorites Reports have confirmed that a trio of distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in prior movies. The precise method of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher. The Weight of Legendary Legacy For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a brief appearance is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he received the news from the series creator. "I remember the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back." Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious. "Truthfully, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now embodied in each and every Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st." The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise. "It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I have no idea if the movie's be successful. 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 truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'" Speculation and Excitement Abound While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange communal scenario. The possibility of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also is on the table. Moviegoers will discover the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.
The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback. "Coming back to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits. An Unexpected Comeback for Fallen Favorites Reports have confirmed that a trio of distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, even though meeting their demise in prior movies. The precise method of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher. The Weight of Legendary Legacy For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a brief appearance is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he received the news from the series creator. "I remember the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back." Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious. "Truthfully, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now embodied in each and every Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st." The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular franchise. "It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I have no idea if the movie's be successful. 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 truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'" Speculation and Excitement Abound While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange communal scenario. The possibility of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also is on the table. Moviegoers will discover the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.