Scream Original Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel 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 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 returning to the fray.

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

An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that three distinct characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Status

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

"I remember the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the years 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 notes. "A part that is now represented in each and every Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, 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 damages the popular franchise.

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's be successful. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people state 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 saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Theories and Anticipation Abound

While countless dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way all alive in a bizarre communal situation. The chance of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.

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