Ghostface OG Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic return 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 won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

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

A Triumphant Return for Fallon Characters

It has been established that three distinct characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the return of the endearing and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, though he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the phone call. I remember the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the original film was released, which left Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that appears every Halloween."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fans

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular series.

"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 movie's be successful. I am unsure 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 reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Excitement Run High

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others return persists. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's mind, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way still living in a bizarre shared situation. 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.