Scream OG Star the Actor Fears He Could Ruin 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 marks the legendary comeback of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the last entry. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as journalist 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 mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a daunting task that gave me sleepless nights," the actor reveals.
An Unexpected Return for Fallen Favorites
It has been established that a trio of different characters from past films are set to return in this new outing, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Fans should get ready for the return of the beloved and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film antagonist Roman Bridger, and one half of the original killer pair, Stu Macher.
The Pressure of Iconic Legacy
For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first occasion since a brief cameo is a long-held wish, though he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the precise instant he received the news from the original writer.
"I remember the conversation. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That instance is permanently etched on my mind," he states. "Therefore I'm really proud to be back. I'm really excited to be back."
Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the decades since the 1996 movie premiered, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.
"The reality is, that's a role that is infamous, for better or worse," he explains. "A part that is now represented in each and every Ghostface mask that walks around every Halloween."
The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fans
Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting like the rest of us to see the final product. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who damages the popular franchise.
"It's either a success and people are thrilled to have you, or it's a miss," 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 certainly 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 pressure to not ruin the series. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and saying, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"
Speculation and Excitement Run High
While many dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the big question of how he and the others return remains. Maybe they live as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Or, maybe they are somehow all alive in a bizarre shared scenario. The possibility of a self-referential story, inspired by classic genre films, also is on the table.
Audiences will discover the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.
