Ghostface Original Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Coming back to a role you played in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a challenge that gave me sleepless nights," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Favorites

Reports have confirmed that three different 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 is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first occasion since a small cameo is a dream come true, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer vividly recalls the exact moment he received the news from the original writer.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the small talk. I recall him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

"The reality is, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the final product. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting 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 miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly 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 pressure to not mess up the series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's mind, similar to a prior storyline. Or, perhaps they are somehow still living in a bizarre shared situation. The possibility of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also exists.

Moviegoers will find out the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.