Scream 7 hits theaters next year, and the horror franchise is gearing up for a pretty big family reunion. The latest installment of the series marks Neve Campbell's return to her iconic role as Sidney Prescott after taking a break from the series. Scream 6. As usual, she will be joined by Courteney Cox (Gail Weathers), but they won't only familiar faces for a long time Scream fans.
His was previously confirmed that three different characters from past Scream films have returned for the new film, despite having died in previous installments. We're not sure How this is exactly what will happen. But get ready for the return of beloved (almost) unkillable cop Dewey Riley (David Arquette), horror film director and Scream 3 killer Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) and one half of the murderous duo that started it all in the first film, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard).
For Lillard, who returns to the franchise for the first time since his uncredited absence. Scream 2 cameo, returning was a dream come true, even if he's terrified of how the world will react. The actor still remembers the moment he received this news from Kevin Williamson, who wrote the original. Scream and returns to write and direct this sequel.
“I remember the phone call. I remember who I was talking to. I remember small talk. I remember him asking. That moment is indelibly etched into my soul,” Lillard tells Polygon. “So I’m very proud to be back. I'm very happy to be back.”
Returning to a character who hasn't appeared in a Scream movie for three decades presented a very specific challenge.
“Going back to a character you played when you were in your 20s at 55 and trying to figure out how to do it was a challenge that kept me up at night,” says Lillard.
Stu Macher has also gained a cult following over the years. ScreamThe 1996 release that left Lillard feeling “in awe.”
“The reality is that this part lives in shame, for better or worse,” he says. “A piece that is now featured in every Scream mask that goes around every Halloween.”
However, now that production has wrapped, Lillard, like the rest of us, is waiting to see how Scream 7 ends. Unfortunately, he also had the added pressure of not wanting to be responsible for the collapse of the franchise, no matter how unlikely that might seem.
“It’s either success and people are excited about you, or failure, right? Speaking of which, I don't know if the film will work. I don't know if people will want to see me,” Lillard says. “I mean, I've definitely seen enough people come out and say, 'Stu's dead. Why do they return to this stereotype? Why are they doing this? So the reality is that I feel a lot of pressure not to ruin the franchise. I don't want people to leave Scream 7 and thought, “Well, this sucks, and it was because of Matthew Lillard.”
While many longtime Scream fans are eagerly awaiting Stu's return to the big screen, we have two months left to see how that will happen. Perhaps Stu, Dewey and Roman are living rent-free in Sidney's head, just like Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) did in Sam Carpenter's (Melissa Barrera) 2022 film. Scream. Then again, maybe somehow they're all alive and living together in some kind of Ghostface-style nursing home. Or perhaps we're in for a fourth-wall-breaking meta-horror, as in Scream predecessor, Wes Craven's New Nightmare.
We'll know when Scream 7 hits theaters February 27, 2006
