“I’ll be right back!” Matthew Lillard confirmed returning for Scream VII

Oh. My. God!

It’s happening, it’s really happening! Matthew Lillard is returning to the Scream franchise after almost 30 years as Stu Macher, one of the original pair of Ghostface killers and it has the fandom buzzing!

Mere hours after it was revealed that Scream 3 actor Scott Foley was returning for the seventh movie as another Ghsotface killer, Roman Bridger, news broke that Lillard will also be making a return, although in just what context remains a mystery.

We break down why Matthew Lillard’s Stu Macher may be the villain in Scream 5

I guess we now know what Neve Campbell meant recently when she recently said “some of the oldies” would be returning:

Now we know why Neve Campbell said “some of the oldies” are returning for SCREAM 7. They probably told her the pitch included: “an updated SCREAM 3 voice changer with AI & deepfakes of past characters & killers.” pic.twitter.com/aJWmgnsOdW

— ໊ (@britneyvinyl) January 31, 2025

Lillard took to social media after the news broke to tease his return with a famous quote from the first movie but it also seems he’s confirming he’s not coming back as a different character but as a Stu Macher who is worse for wear from the last time we saw him… years in an asylum perhaps? Has he been in a coma? We’re hearing reports about a psychiatric hospital scene in the new movie, is this where Stu has been?!

For years we have hoped – believed! – that Stu would be returning, just like was originally planned for Scream 3, and we would see The Cult of Ghostface, a group of murderous Ghostfaces controlled by an imprisoned Stu Macher… I have a feeling we’re getting closer to that than ever before.

On last thing though, rumors abound now that Skeet Ulrich, Billy Loomis, Stu Macher’s accomplice in the first movie, is also returning and some are speculating that if Billy, Stu and Roman are back, we might be about to see that fateful night when Maureen Prescott, Sidney Prescott’s mother, was killed as all three may have been there. That night has always been shrouded in mystery… are there other secrets left to be revealed?

“Surprise, Sidney!” Scott Foley returns to Scream franchise

 

Or maybe Stu was the secret second killer alongside Roman in Scream 3? Ah, I love the Scream lore and all these returning characters could mean so many things! Next February cannot come soon enough.

Lillard joins returning cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Scott Foley and newcomers Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Joel McHale and Mark Consuelos.

The movie is co-written and directed by Scream creator Kevin Williamson.

Anyway, thoughts on Lillard’s return? I want to hear them…

Scream 7 slashes its way onto the screen on February 27th, 2026.

 

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Source: Deadline