Ghostface OG Star Matthew Lillard Fears He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter signals the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

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

An Unexpected Return for Fallon Characters

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer 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, returning to the series for the first time since a small appearance is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he received the offer from the series creator.

"I recall the conversation. I remember the small talk. I remember him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Scream mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the final product. He admits to feeling significant anxiety about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular series.

"The outcome is either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen enough 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 responsibility to not ruin the series. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While countless dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return persists. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The chance of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

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