On Friday, February 7, Matthew Lillard, who portrayed Stu Macher in the original Scream, confirmed his return to the iconic horror series during a panel at MegaCon in Orlando.
The 55-year-old actor joined fellow Scream veteran Skeet Ulrich at the Orange County Convention Center, where they discussed the future of the franchise and Lillard’s highly anticipated comeback.
“I’ve been asked a thousand times since the first movie ended if I’m coming back. And I’m happy to say, I am,” Lillard told the crowd.
When asked if he would reprise his role as the infamous villain Stu, Lillard joked, “I come back as a fairy godmother. It’s gonna slay.”
Ulrich, also 55, expressed his excitement for Lillard’s return. “Matt called me when he got the news, and I was so happy for him. Anybody who’s followed him knows how much he’s wanted this,” Ulrich shared with the audience.
Lillard first hinted at his return on January 30, posting a video on Instagram that showed a hand writing one of Stu’s memorable quotes from Scream: “My mom and dad are gonna be soo mad at me!!” Fans quickly reacted in the comments, with one writing, “Our king returns to the screen as he always said he’d be right back!!!” Another fan quoted another iconic line from Stu: “I’m feeling a little woozy here!.”
Lillard’s character, Stu, was a high school student and horror movie fan who, along with Billy Loomis (Ulrich), was revealed to be one of the killers behind the Ghostface mask in the original Scream. Though it appeared that Stu met his end when Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) pushed a TV onto his head, his death was never explicitly confirmed.
Since the release of Scream in 1996, Lillard has made cameo appearances in Scream 2 (1997) and Scream (2022), with his role as Stu being limited to a brief voiceover. Ulrich also reprised his role as Billy in Scream 5 (2022) and Scream VI (2023), appearing in visions seen by his daughter, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera).
The next installment, Scream 7, will be directed by Kevin Williamson, the creator and original screenwriter of the franchise. This marks his first time at the helm of the series.
New cast members confirmed for Scream 7 include Scott Foley, who appeared in Scream 3 (2000), and Mark Consuelos. They will join legacy cast members Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox.
Isabel May will play Sidney Prescott’s daughter, while Joel McHale joins the cast as Sidney’s husband, Mark (a different character from Patrick Dempsey’s role in Scream 3). Other new additions include Celeste O’Connor, McKenna Grace, Asa Germann, and Sam Rechner. Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown will also return, though Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega will not be reprising their roles.
Scream 7 is set to hit theaters on February 27, 2026.
