The long-awaited slasher sequel Scream 7 is set to arrive in theaters in the coming year, and it is gearing up for a major family reunion. This latest installment signals the legendary return of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, per tradition, be joined by Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only beloved 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 reveals.
Reports have confirmed that a trio of distinct characters from earlier films are set to return in this latest sequel, despite meeting their demise in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their return is still unclear. Audiences should prepare for the return of the beloved and nearly unkillable cop Dewey Riley, the filmmaker and third film killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's killer pair, Stu Macher.
For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a small cameo is a long-held wish, though he is apprehensive about the public's reaction. The performer vividly recalls the exact moment he got the offer from the series creator.
"I recall the phone call. I recall the pleasantries. I recall him posing the question. That moment is indelibly imprinted on my mind," he states. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."
Stu Macher has attained cult status in the years since the original film was released, which made Lillard feeling very trepidatious.
"The reality is, that's a role that lives in infamy, like it or not," he explains. "A character that is now embodied in each and every Ghostface mask that appears every October 31st."
Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the final product. He admits to feeling significant anxiety about not wanting 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 miss," Lillard points out. "Going into it, I don't know if the movie's be successful. 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 going back to this trope?' So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure to not mess up the franchise. I don't want people exiting Scream 7 and thinking, 'Well, that was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the reason.'"
While many 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 consciousness, similar to a prior storyline. Or, perhaps they are somehow all alive in a strange communal scenario. The possibility of a self-referential story, inspired by classic genre films, also exists.
Moviegoers will find out the answer when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.
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