Scream OG Star the Actor Fears 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 gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the last entry. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.

"Coming back to a character 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 Fallon Favorites

Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first occasion since a brief appearance is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the series creator.

"I recall the phone call. I remember the small talk. I remember him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my psyche," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

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

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

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved 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 am unsure if people want 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 truth 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 Anticipation Abound

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's mind, like a prior storyline. Or, maybe they are in some way still living in a strange shared situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also is on the table.

Audiences will discover the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.