Matthew Lillard Speaks Out About Return to ‘Scream 7’ Franchise For The First Time

Matthew Lillard addressed his return for Scream 7 for the very first time!

Over the years, the beloved horror film icon has been asked if he believes that his character, Stu Macher, really died in the first film. Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Matthew Lillard would reprise his role for the seventh movie in the franchise. On Friday (February 7), Lillard alongside Skeet Ulrich (who played Billy Loomis), spoke about the project during a panel at Mega Con in Orlando, Florida.

“You guys, do you want to hear everything? I come back as a fairy godmother. It’s going to slay,” he teased. “Am I coming back? I don’t know if I could answer that question.”

“I actually don’t have a good answer. It’s so funny, I’ve been asked this literally a thousand times a day since the first movie ended if I’m coming back,” he continued. “I’m happy to report that I am.”

Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich’s Reaction to Stu’s Return

You’ll recall that Ulrich’s character died in the first film. However, he returned in 2022’s Scream VI as his daughter hallucinated his teenage self speaking to her about murder.

“So Matt called me and told me when word came down and I was so ecstatic for him,” Ulrich added. “Anyone who’s been to one of these [conventions], knows him, or has followed him, knows how much he has wanted that. I’m very happy for him.”

“That’s it! That’s all we can tell you,” Lillard concluded after embracing Ulrich in a hug.

Scream 7 is scheduled to premiere in February 2026.

Scream (1996) Memories

During the duo’s panel, the pair discussed what it was like to work on the first film together.

“[The film’s set] was my experience of what college would be like,” Lillard shared of the Scream set in California. “We were a bunch of kids running around Santa Rosa. We worked 6 PM to basically 8 AM. So we’d come off of work, and we’d all go to David Arquette’s room and drink like fools. And we were young. It was a pivotal moment in all of our lives. It changed our lives. And we’re all friends to this day. So it’s a college experience.”

“We were a bunch of kids trying to, you know, break into the business in a bigger way,” Ulrich noted. “We were really a bunch of actors who got together and took a chance on a film that even Hollywood didn’t necessarily want to take a chance on.”