Ghostface OG Star Matthew Lillard Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Series with the Seventh Installment.
The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only fan-favorite characters returning to the fray.
"Coming back to a role you played in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," the actor admits.
An Unexpected Comeback for Fallon Characters
It has been established that three different characters from past films are slated to reappear in this new outing, despite dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.
The Weight of Legendary Legacy
For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a long-held wish, even if he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The actor clearly remembers the precise instant he got the offer from the series creator.
"I remember the phone call. I remember the pleasantries. I recall him asking. That instance is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."
Stu Macher has achieved cult status in the years since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.
"Truthfully, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he notes. "A part that is now represented in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."
The Fear of Letting Down the Fans
Now that filming has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the finished film. He admits to feeling significant anxiety about hoping not 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 fail," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I have no idea if the movie's be successful. I don't know if people are eager to see me. I've certainly 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 responsibility to not ruin the series. I hope people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"
Speculation and Excitement Abound
While countless dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they live rent-free in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a previous plot device. Alternatively, perhaps they are in some way still living in a strange communal scenario. The chance of a meta-horror story, inspired by earlier horror movies, also exists.
Audiences will find out the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.
