A Deleted Scream 3 Role Reveals Stu Survived
Matthew Lillard disclosed that Wes Craven's original idea for Scream 3 had Stu in a very important role, meaning that Stu is indeed alive.
Wes Craven’s Scream (1996) concluded with the death of killers Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard), yet according to a deleted Scream 3 role, Stu is alive. Billy was stabbed multiple times and shot in the head, confirming his death; Stu was stabbed twice and a TV dropped on his head, electrocuting him. Although assumed dead, many people, including Lillard himself, believe Stu is still alive and serving time in prison.
There have been theories surrounding Lillard’s possible reprisal of his role in the upcoming Scream movie, the fifth in the franchise and the first to not be directed by the late Wes Craven. Although Lillard has made no further appearances since the first Scream film (aside from an extra role in Scream 2), this doesn’t dismiss the possibility of Stu being alive. His supposed death came at the hands of a 90s television and was in no way as emphatic as his co-conspirator Billy's. This always left the door open for a return to the series – rumors of which were fuelled by fans spotting Stu’s house in on set pictures.
For all the uncertainty surrounding Stu's fate, however, there's a much more concrete reason for the character to be alive; namely, that he was originally going to have a role in the notoriously hated Scream 3 (2000). When interviewed on the Bob Bendick Podcast back in 2010, Lillard revealed a considerable plot detail for Scream 3: Stu was supposed to be the mastermind behind the murders, orchestrating high school students from his cell in prison. The tragic Columbine High School Shooting occurred on April 20th, 1999, during the time that the film was being written, so the plot was completely altered. However, the dramatic change from Craven's original plan may go some way to explaining why Scream 3 remains the weakest in the franchise.
When Billy and Stu were caught as the killers, Stu kept pleading that it was all peer pressure, saying his infamous line, “My parents are going to be so mad at me!”. He claimed that he didn’t even have a real motive; he was just helping Billy with his plan. Since Stu was still considered a minor when the murders occurred, he might have used the peer-pressure point in court and been sent away to prison as opposed to getting the death penalty. He was stabbed and electrocuted, so he most likely ended up in a coma, or at least in terrible shape. This explains why he was hardly mentioned in Scream 2, and then never again. It took Stu a few years to get strong and healthy again, and when he finally did, seeking revenge on Sidney seemed like the only option since she was responsible (at least in his mind) for being locked up.
There remains substantial debate over the efficacy of Stu's Scream return, as it's unclear how he could survive a TV dropping on his head. However, as Scream is partly an homage to Halloween, it may just be that Stu is a tribute to the iconic unkillable slasher antagonist Michael Myers. If Myers, Chucky, and Jason can all make a comeback, it seems plausible that Stu can too, potentially setting up at least a cameo in Scream 5. Whether or not he reprises his role, it's clear that Wes Craven's original plan means Stu is alive and well.
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