Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a massive family reunion. This latest installment marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

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

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Favorites

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, even though dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he got the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the years since the original film was released, which left Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, for better or worse," he explains. "A part that is now represented in every single Scream mask that appears every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved 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 don't know if the film will gonna work. I don't know 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 mess up the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Excitement Run High

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return persists. Perhaps they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal scenario. The chance of a meta-horror story, inspired by classic horror movies, also exists.

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