Matthew Lillard reveals his reaction to learning Stu Macher would return in “Scream 7”: 'I screamed'

Matthew Lillard has opened up about how he discovered that his character, Stu Macher, would make a return in Scream 7. The actor admitted he was completely surprised to hear Stus voice at the end of the movies trailer. "I had no idea," Lillard said, emphasizing that he hasnt shared the details of Stus return with anyone.

The trailer closes with the voice of Stu Macher, one of the original 1996 films dual Ghostface killers, saying, "This is gonna be fun!" Lillard shared with Entertainment Weekly that neither Paramount nor Spyglass informed him beforehand that his voice would be used in the trailers final moment. "The only power you have in this business is saying yes or no, and once you say yes, you have zero control," he explained.

While promoting the first Five Nights at Freddy's movie in 2023, Lillard expressed doubts about Stu returning to the Scream series. Both Stu and Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) were killed in the original film, though fan theories suggested Stu might have survived. During promotions for Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Lillard recalled the moment he learned Stu would indeed be back.

"I was on a walk and had a business call with my company, Find Familiar Spirits," he said. "I put them on hold when Kevin Williamson called me unexpectedly." Williamson, the writer of the first Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 4, now directs Scream 7, which explores a new Ghostface terrorizing Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her family.

Lillard recounted his surprise at receiving Williamsons call, having just seen him three weeks earlier at a game night hosted by Mike Flanagan. "I picked up the phone, we chatted briefly, and then he asked, Do you want to come back? I literally screamed," he said.

The actor admitted hes kept fan theories about Stu alive over the years, citing Easter eggs from the directors of the fifth and sixth films, Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin. However, Williamson confirmed it was just for show. "When he asked me, I said, 'I thought you didnt want me in the film.' He told me he had wanted to keep it a secret," Lillard recalled.

Details about Stus role in Scream 7 remain unknown. While Billy Loomis is dead and appeared in spectral form to haunt his daughter, fans speculate that Stu might return in a similar way, possibly involving A.I. or deepfake technology.

The trailer also hints at connections to the original film: the Macher house, the site of the first movies climax, is now an Airbnb rental, and Sidneys daughter, Tatum (played by Isabel May), is named after Stus high school girlfriend from the first movie.

"If I have a secret, I usually tell someone," Lillard admitted, "but I havent revealed how or why Stu returns." Skeet Ulrich confirmed he will not return for Scream 7, stating that the storylines for Billys character in previous films didnt continue into this installment.

Lillard expressed excitement for the new direction of Scream 7. "Its testing through the roof. Kevin Williamson has brought it back to the original roots, and I think fans are going to be very happy," he said.

Author: Sophia Brooks