🔗 Share this article Scream OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with Scream 7. The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a major family reunion. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter 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 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," the actor reveals. A Triumphant Return for Fallon Favorites It has been established that three different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher. The Weight of Legendary Legacy For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a small appearance is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the original writer. "I remember the phone call. I remember the small talk. I recall him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back." Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the original film premiered, which left Lillard feeling very trepidatious. "The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Scream mask that walks around every Halloween." The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He admits to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series. "The outcome is either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will gonna work. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'" Speculation and Anticipation Abound While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal situation. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also exists. Moviegoers will discover the truth when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.
The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a major family reunion. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter 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 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," the actor reveals. A Triumphant Return for Fallon Favorites It has been established that three different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should get ready for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the original killer pair, Stu Macher. The Weight of Legendary Legacy For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a small appearance is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the original writer. "I remember the phone call. I remember the small talk. I recall him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "So I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back." Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the original film premiered, which left Lillard feeling very trepidatious. "The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Scream mask that walks around every Halloween." The Fear of Letting Down the Fandom Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position as everyone else to see the finished film. He admits to feeling significant pressure about not wanting to be the one who ruins the beloved series. "The outcome is either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the film will gonna work. I am unsure if people want to see me. I've definitely seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not ruin the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'" Speculation and Anticipation Abound While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way still living in a bizarre communal situation. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of earlier horror movies, also exists. Moviegoers will discover the truth when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.