Ghostface OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Franchise with Scream 7.

The highly anticipated slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment signals the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, following her absence from the previous film. She will, per tradition, be alongside Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite 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," Lillard reveals.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Weight of Iconic Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a small appearance is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he got the news from the original writer.

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

Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the decades since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.

"Truthfully, that's a part that lives in infamy, like it or not," he notes. "A part that is now represented in each and every Ghostface mask that walks around every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fandom

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

"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I have no idea if the film will gonna work. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen enough people state and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the series. I don't want people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, like a prior storyline. Alternatively, maybe they are in some way all alive in a strange communal scenario. The possibility of a meta-horror story, reminiscent of classic genre films, also is on the table.

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