Scream OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, as usual, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a character you played in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard reveals.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he received the news from the original writer.

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

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie premiered, which left Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, for better or worse," he explains. "A part that is now represented in each and every Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I don't know if the movie's be successful. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people state 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 series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Run High

While countless dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange shared situation. The chance of a self-referential story, inspired by classic horror movies, also is on the table.

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