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

The highly anticipated horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, as usual, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a role you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," the actor reveals.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that three distinct characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this new outing, even though dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a dream come true, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the offer from the original writer.

"I remember the conversation. I remember the small talk. I recall him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the years since the original film premiered, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.

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

The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He confesses to feeling immense pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series.

"It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the movie's gonna work. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've certainly 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 return, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, like a prior storyline. Or, maybe they are in some way still living in a bizarre shared situation. The chance of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also is on the table.

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