Ghostface OG Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Spoil the Series with the Seventh Installment.

The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is preparing for a massive gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out 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 returning to the fray.

"Coming back to a character you played in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," the actor admits.

An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters

Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, even though meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should prepare for the return of the endearing and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.

The Pressure of Legendary Legacy

For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a brief cameo is a dream come true, though he is terrified about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he got the news from the original writer.

"I remember the conversation. I recall the small talk. I recall him asking. That instance is permanently etched on my psyche," he states. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."

Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the original film was released, which left Lillard feeling very nervous.

"The reality is, that's a part that is infamous, like it or not," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st."

The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fandom

Now that filming 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 damages the popular franchise.

"It's either a hit and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard observes. "At the start, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've certainly seen plenty of people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they going back to this idea?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not ruin the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"

Speculation and Anticipation Run High

While many longtime fans are excited for Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Maybe they exist rent-free in Sidney's mind, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow still living in a bizarre communal situation. The chance of a meta-horror narrative, inspired by earlier horror movies, also is on the table.

Audiences will find out the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.