An all-new Ghostface is on the hunt — and they could be a familiar face.
On Oct. 30, the first trailer for Scream 7 was released, and it dropped a major clue about the secret identity of the killer. They are originally from Woodsboro. While this isn’t exactly uncommon, as many of the franchise’s villains, from Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) to Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts), have hailed from the murder-plagued California community, it leaves the door open for the film to potentially address a fan-favorite theory about Stu Macher’s (Matthew Lillard) true fate.
“Hello, Sidney. Did you miss me? Nice little town you found. You and your pretty daughter. Reminds me of where we grew up.”
By the end of Scream (1996), Stu had already suffered multiple stab wounds, but the alleged killing blow was when Sidney pushed a television onto his head and seemingly electrocuted him. However, it’s long been speculated that Stu didn’t actually die — especially since he was never shot in the head. In fact, Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) himself warned that the killer would always come back for a final scare, and in Scream 2, he said to “never, ever, under any circumstances, assume the killer is dead.” These fan theories were sent back into overdrive when it was revealed that Lillard, 55, had officially been cast in the next installment of the hit slasher franchise.
Watch the trailer for Scream 7 below.
‘Scream 7’ Could Recycle an Abandoned Stu Macher Plot
While there are many ways the Scooby Doo star could make an appearance in the slasher flick, it’s possible that they could rework elements of an abandoned plot that was meant for Scream 3. Lillard told MovieWeb that the third movie was originally not only going to reveal that Stu was alive and in prison, but that he had been orchestrating more crimes from behind bars by using other teenagers to carry out his murderous plans.
“The reason that didn’t go is Columbine High School happened right before we went into production, and justifiably so, they changed the entire story around. So there’s a world in which Kevin [Williamson] thought he was alive. And there’s definitely a world in which the last team that did Scream 5 and 6 thought he was alive.”
Scream 6 also dropped a hint that Stu may not have died at all. There was a moment when the group was wandering the Ghostface shrine in New York City, and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) points out they have the “TV that killed Stu Macher,” to which Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) replies, “If you believe he’s dead.” While this could have been nothing more than a fun nod to the prevalent fan theory, it could also have been the writer’s way to confirm that he is at least believed to be dead by characters in the Scream universe — but it’s not for sure.
It’s unlikely that Stu had been in prison or a mental institution for the past 30 years without anyone knowing about it, but it is possible that he could have somehow survived and managed to fake his death with help. Still, that help would likely have had to come from inside the police department or the hospital in order for anyone to believe that it was true. If this is the direction that Scream 7 goes, they will have a lot of explaining to do.
Stu Macher Could Make an Appearance From Beyond the Grave
Kevin Williamson slammed the brakes on the “Stu is alive” theory in a 2022 interview with Collider when he confirmed that he was no longer among the living.
“No, he’s dead. I think that [rumor] started because of the college scene, the frat party scene, because he’s standing in the background. He just came to visit set that night.”
It’s entirely possible that Williamson has changed his mind for Scream 7, but if Stu is dead, there are plenty of ways for him to still have a role in the movie. The most obvious way would be in a dream sequence. If Sidney is once again being haunted by a Ghostface killer, it wouldn’t be surprising for her to have nightmares about the murders that started it all. There are also fan theories that an entirely new killer may use an AI voice changer to replicate Stu’s voice in separate phone calls in order to torment Sidney. This would mean that Lillard wouldn’t appear as Stu physically in the film, but he could still have a number of voiceovers.
Matthew Lillard Believes Stu Macher Is Alive
Lillard teased that Stu was “definitely alive” during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in October 2024. He later doubled down on the sentiment in an interview with MovieWeb.
“I’ve always said Stu’s alive,” he said at the time. “I don’t know anyone out there who’s like, ‘I don’t want any part of any future in the sequels or this franchise ever again.’ There’s a world in which he is alive.”
“The only thing that matters is that I think the fans would love it. I think the fans would get a big kick out of it, and I think it would be fun to do. Outside of that, it’s up to the higher powers.”
Catch Scream 7 in theaters on Feb. 27, 2026.
- Release Date
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February 27, 2026
- Writers
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Guy Busick
- Producers
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William Sherak, Paul Neinstein
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
