Original Ghostface killer is returning for Scream 7 as star Matthew Lillard confirms

Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher in Scream 1996

(Image credit: Dimension Films)

Good news horror fans. This is what we’ve been waiting for. The original Ghostface killer Matthew Lillard is officially returning to the Scream franchise

Lillard, who played Stu Macher in the first Scream movie, has been cast in Scream 7, as reported by Deadline. Stu was one-half of the Ghostface killer duo in the 1996 film alongside final girl Sidney Prescott’s boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich).

Soon after the news broke, Lillard took to his Instagram to confirm the news himself in a cryptic video which showed him writing one of his character’s famous lines: "My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me." Check out the post below.

A post shared by Matthew Lillard (@matthewlillard)
A photo posted by on

At the end of the original movie, Stu and Billy’s plot to frame Sidney as the killer backfires when Billy stabs Stu a little too deep. Sidney then escapes and manages to shoot Billy and then drops a TV on Stu’s head. However, Stu’s death has never been confirmed. Is it possible that Stu survived that night at the Macher house? As Ghostface says, "I always come back."

Lillard joins fellow Scream originals Neve Campbell who plays Prescott and Courteney Cox as Gale Weathers, as well as Scream 6’s Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown. But that's not all as Deadline has also confirmed that Scott Foley who played Ghostface in Scream 3 will return in Scream 7.

This makes a little less sense as Foley’s character Roman Bridger was shot in the head by Officer Dewy at the end of the threequel after being revealed as Sidney’s half-brother. However, it is important to note that no character details for Foley have been revealed, so he could well be appearing only in flashback scenes.

Aside from the returning cast, newcomers include Isabel May, Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, Sam Rechner, Anna Camp, Joel McHale, and Mark Consuelos. Scream 7 is directed by franchise creator Kevin Williamson with Scream 5 and 6 writer Guy Busick pennning the script.

Scream 7 hits theaters on February 27, 2026. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time, or keep up with upcoming horror movies heading your way this year and beyond.

I'm the Junior Social Media Editor here at GamesRadar+, handling all of Total Film's social platforms. However, I also write, covering all things film and TV for the site's entertainment section. I joined GamesRadar+ in 2023 and have been here ever since. I previously worked in communications after graduating with an MA in journalism. In my spare time, you can find me binging horror movies or getting lost in a cosy little game on my Switch.