Scream Original Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The highly anticipated horror film 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 marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, as usual, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your twenties when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," the actor reveals.

A Triumphant Comeback for Fallon Favorites

It has been established that a trio of distinct characters from past films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Iconic Status

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

"I recall the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I remember him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he says. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling very nervous.

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

The Fear of Letting Down the Fans

Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling significant pressure about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular series.

"The outcome is either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want to see me. I've definitely seen enough 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 hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"

Speculation and Excitement Abound

While countless longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Perhaps they exist as manifestations in Sidney's mind, like a previous plot device. Or, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The possibility of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of earlier genre films, also exists.

Moviegoers will discover the answer when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.