Matthew Lillard is no stranger to fans of the best horror movies, but even he admits stepping into the upcoming Scream 7 came with a surprising amount of pressure. While walking the red carpet at the Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 premiere, the actor spoke about returning to the franchise that helped launch his career.
Lillard caught up with Entertainment Tonight, and in a clip the outlet posted to its official TikTok, he admitted that the franchise’s legacy hit him hard. The last thing he wanted was to return after all these years only to mess up something fans consider sacred. As he put it:
It was intimidating. ‘Cause the movie’s been around for so long, I didn’t want to be the one to come in and screw it up at this point, right? All I can do is really sort of cancel my legacy? I mean, it’s so iconic, that film was so iconic, so coming back I had a lot to lose.
Lillard also cracked a smile while sharing his hopes for the next installment in the horror franchise, hopes that clearly come from a place of affection for the fandom that’s kept Scream alive for nearly three decades. He added:
My hope at the bottom of my heart is that fans come out, they love it, and they enjoy it. If they’re not, go have a cocktail then enjoy it.
From the little we know about Scream 7, it arrives on February 27, 2026, with original Scream scribe Kevin Williamson directing and Guy Busick penning the script. Radio Silence is sticking around as executive producers, but the biggest story is the cast, a mix of returning icons, unexpected newcomers, and impossible-to-predict choices that have fans spinning theories nonstop.
Neve Campbell is officially back as Sidney Prescott, a move that instantly raised the stakes. Courteney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, somehow still (barely) outrunning Ghostface after being stabbed, shot, punched, and thrown through more glass than any human should survive. Members of the “Core Four,” Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown, are back as Chad and Mindy, though their siblings, Sam and Tara, are missing from the lineup, leaving fans wondering how the new film will bridge that emotional gap.
Then come the surprises: Isabel May as Sidney’s daughter. Anna Camp in a mystery role. McKenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Ethan Embry, Mark Consuelos, Michelle Randolph, and Jimmy Tatro are all joining the ride.
But the biggest shockwave, of course, is Matthew Lillard’s return in and of itself, even if no one knows the “how.” The casting announcement didn’t specify if Stu Macher is physically back or appearing as a vision, Billy Loomis–style. That ambiguity alone has reignited decades of fan theories insisting Stu survived his TV-to-the-head “death” in the 1996 original. The franchise even teased his lingering presence in Scream VI, making the possibility feel more real than ever.
However, they’re bringing him back, and one thing feels clear: Williamson and the creative team are swinging big. They know longtime fans will be watching closely, and they’re stacking the deck with legacy players and new blood to keep the 2026 movie schedule buzzing until the upcoming horror movie slashes its way onto our screens.