Scream Original Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major family reunion. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Returning to a character you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," Lillard reveals.

A Triumphant Return for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is terrified about the public's reaction. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he got the offer from the original writer.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That moment is permanently etched on my mind," he states. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

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

"The reality is, that's a role that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the popular series.

"It's either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the reality 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 reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation 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 exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared scenario. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, inspired by earlier genre films, also is on the table.

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