Matthew Lillard has heard all the fan theories that his character Stu Macher is alive and well but he still doesn’t expect to return to the “Scream” franchise…
As “Scream” celebrates its 27th anniversary this year, fans of the franchise are largely stuck in limbo about what will happen next with plans for a sequel now very much up in the air.
While “Scream 7” was already ordered with “Freaky” director Christopher Landon on board for the project, the sequel has taken a lot of losses lately after Spyglass (the studio producing the film) unceremoniously dumped Melissa Barrera from the new film over social media posts she made regarding Israel and Palestine. Then came news that Jenna Ortega would not be returning to “Scream VII” reportedly due to scheduling conflicts with her current role in the hit Netflix series “Wednesday.”
In the aftermath of those departures, rumors began circling that Spyglass was potentially seeking to bring back Neve Campbell to the franchise after she sat out “Scream VI” over salary disputes with the studio. There’s still no word if Campbell might actually consider returning and there’s been no real word about “Scream VII” for several weeks.
One name that has consistently popped up whenever a “Scream” sequel is happening is original film star Matthew Lillard, who played co-killer Stu Macher in the original slasher from director Wes Craven. There’s been a long running fan theory that Stu didn’t actually die during “Scream” because Sidney Prescott only dropped a TV on his head — and they even made mention of that conspiracy theory during a scene in “Scream VI.”
While Lillard has often expressed interest in potentially returning to the franchise that helped make him famous, the veteran actor now says he doesn’t expect that to happen, especially with the entire series in flux following so many issues around the upcoming sequel.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” Lillard said about returning to “Scream” when talking to EW. “I mean, look, with what they’re going through right now, I have no idea where that goes. If there’s a world where it makes sense, then sure. I mean, they keep mentioning it, they keep tip-toeing around the outside.”
More than anything, Lillard would just like to receive a definitive answer from the powers-that-be behind “Scream” because he’s rarely afforded any public appearance without somebody asking him about possibly returning to the horror franchise.
“I hope they put it to bed one way or the other,” Lillard said. “I can’t walk down the street without somebody asking me if I’m going to be in Episode 35 or whatever.”
Of course, Lillard has been staying plenty busy lately with his appearance in the smash hit film “Five Nights at Freddy’s” while also just recently wrapping his part in the new Mike Flanagan film “The Life of Chuck,” which is based on a Stephen King story.
As for “Scream VIII,” it remains to be seen what will happen after Spyglass faced a lot of fan backlash after firing Barrera along with Ortega also opting not to return for the next sequel.
