Ghostface Original Star Matthew Lillard 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 massive gathering of familiar faces. This latest installment marks the legendary return of Neve Campbell as survivor Sidney Prescott, after sitting out the previous film. She will, as usual, be alongside Courtney Cox as reporter Gail Weathers, but they aren't the only fan-favorite characters making a comeback.
"Coming back to a role you portrayed in your mid-20s when you're 55 was a daunting task that kept me up at night," the actor reveals.
A Triumphant Comeback for Fallen Favorites
Reports have confirmed that three distinct characters from past films are slated to reappear in this latest sequel, even though dying in prior movies. The exact mechanism of their resurrection remains a mystery. Audiences should get ready for the reappearance of the beloved and nearly unkillable officer Dewey Riley, the director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger, and one half of the first film's murderous duo, Stu Macher.
The Weight of Iconic Legacy
For Matthew Lillard, reprising his role in the series for the first time since a brief cameo is a dream come true, even if he is terrified about the audience response. The performer clearly remembers the exact moment he received the news from the original writer.
"I remember the phone call. I remember the small talk. I recall him posing the question. That moment is permanently etched on my psyche," he says. "Therefore I'm incredibly honored to be back. I'm thrilled to be back."
Stu Macher has attained iconic status in the years since the 1996 movie premiered, which left Lillard feeling quite nervous.
"The reality is, that's a part that lives in infamy, for better or worse," he notes. "A character that is now embodied in every single Ghostface mask that walks around every October 31st."
The Anxiety of Letting Down the Fans
Now that filming has concluded, Lillard is waiting as everyone else to see the finished film. He admits to feeling immense anxiety about hoping not to be the one who ruins the beloved series.
"The outcome is either a hit and people are excited to have you, or it's a miss," Lillard points out. "At the start, I have no idea if the film will 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 going back to this trope?' 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 was terrible, and Matthew Lillard was the cause.'"
Speculation and Anticipation Run High
While countless dedicated fans are excited for Stu's return, the central mystery of how he and the others come back persists. Maybe they live as manifestations in Sidney's mind, similar to a prior storyline. Or, perhaps they are in some way all alive in a bizarre shared situation. The chance of a self-referential narrative, reminiscent of classic genre films, also exists.
Moviegoers will discover the truth when Scream 7 debuts in theaters.
