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

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is preparing for a major family reunion. This new chapter marks the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a character you played in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Characters

It has been established that three different characters from earlier films are set to return in this new outing, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Status

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first occasion since a brief appearance is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he received the offer from the series creator.

"I remember the phone call. I remember the small talk. I remember 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 attained cult status in the years since the original film premiered, which left Lillard feeling very nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he explains. "A part that is now represented in each and every Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the beloved 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 don't know if the film will 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 trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Theories and Excitement Abound

While many longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Or, perhaps they are somehow still living in a strange communal scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror story, inspired by classic horror movies, also is on the table.

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