Originalhorrormovies have done well at the box office for the past few years, and I’m always going to celebrate smart new voices who have cool new takes on tropes and storylines. But I will never stop enjoying theScreamfranchise, and my excitement level forScream 7continues to grow witheach big casting announcement.
One of the biggest pieces ofScream 7news isMatthew Lillard coming back to play Stu Macher. I’m with every other fan wondering,didn’t Stu die at the end ofScream?Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) threw a TV at his head, after all, and that isn’t easy to survive. While I wonder what’s going to happen to his character, I need to talk aboutthisScream 7fan theory that involves Stu.
I Love This Scream 7 Fan Theory Involving Matthew Lillard’s Stu
In a thread wondering how Matthew Lillard’s character Stu Macher can return toScream 7,one Redditorcame up with an idea:
“Billy, Stu and Roman flashback beforeScream1996 where they plan Maureen’s murder…And I’d bet that we see the flashback from the perspective of a fourth person who was in the room with them. That fourth person is the killer inScream 7?”
I love this idea becauseit’s an easy and logical way to explain Stu Macher’s return and also bringsScream 7back to the beginning.It would be fascinating to see Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich), Stu, and Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) talking about their plan. SinceFoley is returning forScream 7, it would be cool to see Stu and Roman in a scene together. Maybe Billy and Roman met each other randomly, or Billy knew about Roman and searched for him. Either way, it would make sense if they knew each other since they were both upset with Maureen.
I think it would make sense for Roman to work with Billy and Stu.Some fans think that Roman’s Ghostface reveal was disappointingand they thought his motive of being Sidney Prescott’s half-brother was lame. However, I’d love to see a flashback of how they decided they would become Ghostface. Maybe Roman wanted to join in and be a third Ghostface inScream, but Billy and Stu convinced him to wait. Then, when Billy and Stu died, Roman decided to be Ghostface and get revenge on his own.
I also like this fan theory becauseit explainsthe new Ghostface who will appear inScream 7. The biggest question I have iswhat kind of toneScream 7will have. I’m also curious about who the new Ghostface could be and how they could still be hunting down Sidney after all these years. If the new Ghostface worked with Stu, Billy, and Roman, I would be satisfied. Since Stu is a silly, goofy, and naive character, I’m curious who the fourth person could be and what their personality is like. Perhaps they’re a friend or relative of Stu, Billy, or Roman who will carry on the tradition.
Finally, I think this fan theory is clever because it proves that, despite only appearing in one movie, Stu has been a huge part of the franchise. For one thing,Stu’s nephew Vince Schneider (Kyle Gallner) appeared inScream (2022).For another,Stu’sdecision to team up with Billy changed Woodsboro forever. Countless characters lost their lives and final girl Sidney has had to cope with the trauma ever since. It’s great thatScream 7will feature Stu again, and I can’t wait to see him.
What Did Matthew Lillard Say About Playing Stu In Scream?
In a funny post on his Instagram account, Matthew Lillard wrote Stu Macher’s iconic line on a piece of paper:“My mom and dad are going to be so mad at me.“While Lillard has been asked aboutScreamin countless interviews over the years, one of them stands out. In 2022, Lillard and his co-star Skeet Ulrich spoke toVulture, and Lillard said something particularly memorable about the experience of filmingScream. Lillard explained:
“Nobody was out trying to make an iconic movie. We were just trying to make the best movie possible, and quite frankly, it was a horror movie at a time when Wes Craven hadn’t made a good horror movie in a long time. So it wasn’t like there were great expectations, but there was the sense that we were all in.”
SomeScreamfans are convinced that Stu is still alive, and Lillard talked about that in his Vulture interview as well. He said:
“I was supposed doScream3. I got paid for3. Not really well, but I ended up getting paid for something I didn’t do because the idea was that I’d be running high-school killers from jail. Look, it’s a horror movie! Crazy things happen all the time. Have you seenFriday the 13th? Jason comes back — like Stu still could come back… There’s still hope for Stu.”
