Matthew Lillard Is ‘Nervous’ for Fans to Watch ‘Scream 7,’ It Was a ‘Risk’ (Exclusive)

Matthew Lillard was hesitant to step back into the shoes of Stu Macher. 

Months after the Scream actor confirmed his return to the franchise in the upcoming Scream 7, set to be released 30 years after the original Wes Craven-directed film, Lillard reveals that the decision to reprise his role as the horror-movie-obsessed accomplice to Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) wasn’t initially a no-brainer. 

“I’m nervous, because at this point in my life, the only thing I can do is sort of ruin how people consider Stu,” the actor tells PEOPLE of his character.

“[Especially] if I come back and I suck or I was lame,” continues Lillard while discussing his recent ad from Exact Sciences’ Cologuard test, which encourages people to get screened for colon cancer. 

While the 55-year-old will be joined with fellow original cast members Neve Campbell (Sidney Prescott), Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) and more, Lillard was still “nervous” about the seventh installment of the franchise.

“I haven’t seen the movie yet,” he admits. “I don’t know if it works, but it’s a risk. And it’s a risk that I was excited to take.”

“At the same time, I’m nervous to see the outcome. I hope people like it,” Lillard adds.

As for how he plans to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Scream? Lillard — who is revealed to be one of the killers behind the Ghostface mask at the end of the 1996 film — says he doesn’t have any special plans. 

“It’s not something for us to get together and crack open a bottle of champagne or something,” he explains of the cast. “It’s part of our legacy. It’s part of who we are.”

After all, Lillard recalls that his experience on set was the closest thing he had to a college experience. 

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“While I love and adore it, it’s not like I’m going to all of a sudden do something different other than tip my hat and be grateful for what it’s meant to me across my career,” he says of the milestone. 

Lillard previously expressed hope that the long-awaited sequel would live up to expectations during a Sept. 14 appearance at Silver Scream Con in Worcester, Mass.

“The movie’s fantastic, and I’m really excited for people to see it,” he emphasized of Scream 7, directed by the franchise’s creator Kevin Williamson. “It’s not gonna ruin the franchise, that’s the good news.”

Scream 7 will be in theaters on Feb. 27, 2026.