Matthew Lillard, known for his role as Stu Macher in the original Scream, is set to appear in the upcoming Scream 7. He describes the decision as a significant gamble that could impact his legacy. Lillard has kept details secret, even from his family, to preserve the franchise's surprises.
Matthew Lillard first gained prominence in the 1990s as a young actor, later voicing and portraying Shaggy Rogers in Scooby-Doo projects during the 2000s and 2010s. In recent years, he has re-emerged in various roles, including the Twin Peaks revival and guest spots on shows like Supernatural, FBI, and Billions. His return to horror came with the antagonist role in the 2023 film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy’s, leading now to his involvement in Scream 7, directed by Kevin Williamson, who also wrote earlier entries in the series. Lillard originated the character Stu Macher in Wes Craven’s 1996 Scream, where Stu partnered with Billy Loomis, played by Skeet Ulrich, as one of the Ghostface killers. Stu met a gruesome end when Sidney Prescott, portrayed by Neve Campbell, dropped a television on his head, seemingly killing him definitively. Despite this, Lillard is back for Scream 7, though he refuses to reveal how. “Not even my wife. Not even my kids,” he told Entertainment Weekly, emphasizing the joy of shared discovery in theaters. Lillard had publicly campaigned for years to rejoin the franchise, undeterred even when Williamson initially suggested no need for legacy characters like Stu—a comment that proved to be a ruse, as Williamson later contacted him directly. “It didn’t really matter to me in what capacity Kevin wanted me to come back,” Lillard said. “At the end of the day, I think the reason I was so excited about it was ’cause I had been fighting to come back. I was openly campaigning for years.” Speculation includes possibilities like a hallucination similar to Ulrich’s ghostly Billy in Scream V and VI, a survival twist, or a meta appearance within the in-universe Stab films, potentially alongside returns by actors like Scott Foley as Roman Bridger or David Arquette as Dewey Riley. Lillard acknowledges the risks: “There was so much anxiety, so much fear, so much insecurity about stepping back into something that... could go really poorly. It’s a gamble of legacy. I wouldn’t want to hurt the legacy at all.” Scream 7 is slated for release on February 27, 2026.
