Scream Original Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with Scream 7.

The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a major family reunion. This latest installment marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Returning to a role you portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.

A Triumphant Return for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that a trio of different characters from earlier films are set to return in this new outing, even though dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the return of the endearing and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a brief cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he received the news from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore 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 quite trepidatious.

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he notes. "A part that is now represented in each and every Scream mask that appears every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

Now that production has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He confesses to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.

"It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I don't know if the film will be successful. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility 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.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal situation. The possibility of a meta-horror story, inspired by classic genre films, also is on the table.

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