Matthew Lillard, whose character, Stu, was seemingly killed in Wes Craven's original Scream film, isn't entirely convinced the character is dead. The original Scream hit theaters in 1996, where it quickly became a hit, grossing $173 million globally and spawning three sequels, penetrating the zeitgeist like very few horror franchises have been able to do. It was previously announced that Scream 5 is officially in development, now set to hit theaters in 2022. The last entry in the series, Scream 4, was released in 2011, where it grossed $97 million worldwide.

The original Scream centered on a young girl named Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who is terrorized by a killer a year after the murder of her mother, and must fight for her life and try and protect those closest to her who become targets as well. The horror film starred Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Jamie Kennedy, Rose McGowen, and Matthew Lillard. Lillard's character Stu is revealed to be one of the killers who terrorize Sidney and her friends, along with Ulrich's Billy, toward the end of the film, and is killed as she makes her final stand against her attackers. Despite Stu seemingly meeting his demise, Lillard isn't ruling out the possibility of the character still being alive.

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During a day of ample news regarding the upcoming Scream 5, Matthew Lillard took to his Twitter page to express how he feels his character Stu could still be alive. In his tweet, Lillard states, "I mean... it was just a TV? Right? You’d think he’d SURVIVE?" At the end of the original Scream, Stu is stabbed multiple times and has a television dropped on his head, while Billy is shot in the head, given a more definitive death. Lillard's full tweet is below.

Scream 5, which is set to be directed by Ready Or Not's Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, will be taking place in the same universe as all of the previous entries in the horror franchise. It has already been confirmed that David Arquette, Courteney Cox, and even Neve Campbell are set to return for the sequel, bringing some of the series' original characters back into the fold. Arquette has even expressed his desire to have Scream 4's Hayden Panettiere return for the follow-up, another character who was supposedly killed but is theorized to still be alive by many fans.

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The Scream franchise certainly isn't afraid to bring back familiar characters in sequels, which has been a great way of keeping fans invested while making sure each installment has connective tissue to its predecessors. The fact the sequel is bringing back many members of the series' core cast is a delight for fans, who are sure to be expecting certain things in Scream 5. Bringing back a previous killer, such as Lillard's Stu, would be a genuine treat in a future installment, and it's certainly possible his character could've survived given his injuries. It would be foolish to rule out his return to the franchise altogether, primarily since Lillard has previously expressed his desire to reprise his role. In the meantime, fans will be busy crafting theories of who they believe could be the killer in the next Scream film.

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Source: Matthew Lillard