Matthew Lillard Teases His Return in SCREAM 7 as Stu Macher: “It’s Not Gonna Ruin the Franchise!”
Over the weekend at Silver Scream Con, Matthew Lillard opened up about finally getting the call fans have been waiting decades for. The actor is set to reprise hsi role as Stu Macher in Scream 7. Lillard recalls:
“I got a call from Kevin Williamson in the middle of the day. I’m like, ‘I have to take this phone call that’s coming in.’ And I took the phone call, and we kind of small talked. He’s like, ‘Are you interested in coming back?’
“And I literally thought to myself, ‘I’ve been waiting for this call for, like, 20 years.’”
The memory of that moment is burned into his mind and it got him super excited. He continued:
“I was so excited. I know exactly where I was. I know exactly that time of day. I know what I was wearing. I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ And I was on a walk. It’s so weird, it’s like these moments that’s burned into your memory.”
Now that the secret’s out, Lillard couldn’t be happier to step back into Stu’s shoes. He said:
“I’m thrilled to be back. The movie’s fantastic, and I’m really excited for people to see it. It’s not gonna ruin the franchise, that’s the good news. I don’t think!”
According to Lillard, the plan was to keep his return a secret until the film’s release. “They were gonna try and keep it secret until the movie came out. I’m like, ‘Okay, we’ll try it.’”
His old Scream co-star Skeet Ulrich shared his excitement too, adding:
“I knew how much he wanted to do it, and when he got it I remember just being elated for him because it’s something he had been wanting for a long time.”
Scream 7 is set to hit theaters on February 27, 2026, with Williamson directing from a script by Guy Busick (Scream 2022, Scream VI). Alongside Lillard’s return, fans will also see familiar faces including Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, David Arquette, and Scott Foley.
The ensemble cast also features Isabel May, Joel McHale, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Sam Rechner, Asa Germann, Anna Camp, Ethan Embry, Mark Consuelos, Michelle Randolph, and Jimmy Tatro.
Plot details are still under wraps, but word is the story will center on Sidney Prescott and her family years after the bloody events of Scream VI.
I’m excited to see Lillard back in the role of Stu, and it will be interesting to see how he is incorporated into this story.
