Scream OG Star the Actor Is Anxious He Could Ruin the Franchise with the Seventh Installment.
The long-awaited horror film Scream 7 is scheduled to debut in theaters next year, and it is gearing up for a major gathering of familiar faces. This new chapter marks the iconic comeback of Neve Campbell as final girl Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they won't be the only beloved characters making a comeback.
"Coming back to a character you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're in your fifties was a challenge that kept me up at night," Lillard reveals.
An Unexpected Return for Fallen Characters
Reports have confirmed that a trio of different characters from earlier films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in previous installments. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the reappearance of the endearing and seemingly immortal officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and a member of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.
The Weight of Iconic Status
For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the franchise for the first time since a small cameo is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he received the offer from the original writer.
"I remember the phone call. I remember the pleasantries. I remember him asking. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm really excited to be back."
Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie was released, which made Lillard feeling quite trepidatious.
"The reality is, that's a role that is infamous, for better or worse," he notes. "A part that is now represented in every single Scream mask that walks around every October 31st."
The Anxiety of Disappointing the Fans
Now that production has wrapped, Lillard is in the same position like the rest of us to see the final product. He confesses to feeling immense anxiety about not wanting to be the one who ruins the popular franchise.
"It's either a success and people are excited to have you, or it's a fail," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the film will be successful. I am unsure if people are eager to see me. I've definitely seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu is dead. Why are they returning to this trope?' So the truth is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I hope people leaving Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that sucked, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"
Theories and Anticipation Run High
While countless dedicated fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's reappearance, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Perhaps they exist as manifestations in Sidney's consciousness, like a previous plot device. Or, maybe they are somehow all alive in a strange communal situation. The chance of a self-referential story, reminiscent of classic horror movies, also exists.
Audiences will find out the truth when Scream 7 arrives in theaters.
