Scream Original Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," the actor admits.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Characters

It has been established that a trio of distinct characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, even though dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should get ready for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

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

"Truthfully, that's a role that is infamous, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now represented in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the finished film. He admits to feeling immense pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular franchise.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, 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 going back to this idea?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the franchise. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While many dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe 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 bizarre communal scenario. The chance of a self-referential story, inspired by earlier genre films, also exists.

Audiences will find out the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.