Scream Original Star the Actor Fears He Could Spoil the Franchise with Scream 7.
The highly anticipated horror film 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 survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. 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 portrayed in your twenties when you're 55 was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard admits.
An Unexpected Return for Fallen Favorites
Reports have confirmed that three different characters from past films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite dying in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Fans should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the original murderous duo, Stu Macher.
The Pressure of Iconic Status
For Matthew Lillard, returning to the series for the first time since a brief appearance is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The actor vividly recalls the exact moment he received the offer from the original writer.
"I remember the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That moment is permanently etched on my mind," he says. "So I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."
Stu Macher has achieved iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite nervous.
"The reality is, that's a role that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in every single Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."
The Fear of Disappointing the Fandom
Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is in the same position 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 series.
"The outcome is either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard observes. "Going into it, I don't know if the movie's gonna work. I don't know if people want 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 truth is that I feel a lot of responsibility to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"
Speculation and Excitement Run High
While countless longtime fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back remains. Perhaps they live as manifestations in Sidney's mind, similar to a prior storyline. Alternatively, perhaps they are somehow still living in a strange communal situation. The chance of a self-referential story, inspired by earlier genre films, also is on the table.
Moviegoers will discover the truth when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.
