News Slash! Matthew Lillard Has a Theory That Stu Didn't Die in 'Scream'

If there is one thing we love about the Scream movies, it's that they have more twists than a pretzel riding a rollercoaster. Don't worry about why a pretzel might be riding a rollercoaster. From surprise killers, plural, being revealed, to an absentee parent avenging the death of their murderous son, we never know what to expect. That's half the reason why we love these movies so much.

Matthew Lillard, who played Stu in the original Scream, has a personal theory about his own character. He believes that Stu didn't actually die at the end of the film. He's put this thought out into the universe, and the universe (among others) is responding. Did Stu survive in Scream?

In case you somehow forgot, Stu and Billy (Skeet Ulrich) were the killers in Scream. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) was their target and was Billy's girlfriend. His anger stemmed from the fact that Sydney's mom and Billy's dad had an affair, which resulted in Billy's mom abandoning her family. We're pretty sure Stu was just being a good friend to Billy, kind of? Though there are theories that something else was going on.

Stu died when Sidney dropped a television on his head, which has shades of a wild death in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Both Scream and Nightmare have ties to Wes Craven so it's possible.

In a chat with TooFab in May 2020, Matthew Lillard jumped at the idea of returning: "There's nobody that wouldn't want to come back and reprise a role they got to do when they were a boy, and be able to do something different as a man would be exciting. You just don't get that opportunity often."

The next Scream, slated for a Jan. 14, 2022 release, exists in the same universe as the other four films despite this being the first not directed by Wes Craven, who died in 2015. Stu could return if he also hadn't been stabbed multiple times before the television landed on his head. This didn't stop Matthew Lillard from speculating in a tweet that Stu could be alive.

One reason why Matthew Lillard and some observant fans believe Stu might have survived is the fact that Matthew had a cameo in Scream 2. Blink and you'll miss him, but he's standing at the frat party, as an extra. In an interview with Us Magazine, when asked about Matthew's theory, Kevin Williamson said, "Stu does live forever," which we take to mean, in our hearts.

It might be over for Stu, but who knows if the next Scream is the last. Kevin went on to say to Us Magazine that he would love to see more of the franchise. "I love that they keep making Halloween because Scream is an homage to Halloween. I hope they never stopped making Halloween movies. I’m still waiting for another Friday the 13th, and I hope that comes soon and I would love to see Scream live on."

Scream is slated to be released exclusively in theaters Jan. 14, 2022.