Matthew Lillard Admits Stu’s Return in SCREAM 7 Had Him Worried About Letting Fans Down

When Scream hit theaters in 1996, it didn’t just reinvent the slasher genre, it launched Matthew Lillard into horror history as the unhinged and unforgettable Stu Macher.

Now, decades later, with Scream 7 set to slash its way into theaters on February 27, Lillard is officially stepping back into the franchise, and he admits it wasn’t an easy yes.

While promoting his Ghost Face Vodka through his company Macabre Spirits, Lillard opened up about returning to the role that helped define the franchise. While fans are hyped, the actor himself had some serious nerves about revisiting Stu after all these years.

Lillard told ComicBook: “I mean, all I’m doing is putting everything that everyone loves in jeopardy, right? And there’s a world in which you come back, and I sh-t the bed as a 54-year-old man, doing what I did when I was 26 or whatever.

“I mean, that’s horrible. So, yeah, I was very excited to be asked. And then as we got closer and closer, I became more and more concerned that I would screw up what fans thought of me or Stu in general.”

That’s an honest fear. Stu Macher isn’t just another Ghostface. He’s one of the originals. One half of the twisted duo that helped make Scream a genre-defining classic under director Wes Craven. Bringing him back after what looked like his demise is a risky move, and Lillard clearly understands how protective fans are of that legacy.

Even though he hasn’t been front and center in the sequels, Lillard has kept tabs on the franchise. He even admitted he hasn’t seen Scream 3 or Scream 4, but he definitely knows what makes the original stand apart from some of its follow-ups.

“To me, what makes it a good Scream movie is that you’ve got great characters, and the movie has a sense of charm. I think one of the reasons the first film did so well is that you know all those characters.

“Wes Craven spends a lot of time in those characters, developing the entire film so that when you are in the last throes of Scream, these little idiosyncratic beats come out that are fun and charming and not just horrifically violent.’

He continued, “Yes, it is a horrifically violent, but there’s that moment where he’s crying on the phone about his mom to be so mad. There’s a charm to it. There’s little idiosyncratic beats that make it fun. And sometimes it helps balance the violence; they’re so violent.”

That balance between vicious horror and fun humor is exactly what made Stu so electric. Lillard’s performance walked a tightrope between terrifying and ridiculous, and it worked perfectly.

He previously revealed that some of Stu’s most iconic lines were improvised, including “My mom and dad are going to be so mad at me.” If you’re wondering if he’ll get that same creative freedom in Scream 7, the actor shared:

“I think Kevin Williamson understands that sometimes I come up with good stuff, so I won’t say anything else other than that,” Lillard teased. “There’s a handful of creators that allow me to play, and Kevin’s one of them.”

With Kevin Williamson back in the mix, that collaboration feels right. Williamson helped shape the DNA of the original film, and if anyone understands Stu’s chaotic rhythm, it’s him.

Now the big mystery hanging over Scream 7 is how Stu factors into the story. Flashback? Fake-out? Secret survival reveal? The franchise has never been afraid to play with expectations, and bringing back one of its most iconic killers is a big move.

For Lillard, though, this return isn’t about shock value. It’s about honoring something fans have loved for nearly 30 years without messing it up. That kind of pressure would freak anyone out.