During Cinespia’s Halloween screening of Scream at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Matthew Lillard surprised fans, but not by jumping out in a Ghostface mask, but by dropping a political grenade. Standing before a crowd of horror lovers, Lillard grabbed the mic and shouted, “F* ICE. In this time, in this city, we need to lead with love. Do not forget that s* in this moment — not to be political, but to be political as s***.”
The actor wasn’t just there to reminisce about his blood-soaked role as Stu Macher in Wes Craven’s 1996 classic. He had a message, and he wanted it heard. “You have to vote,” he told the audience. “If you don’t vote, we are going down, so it’s on us. And if you don’t like that, I’m so not sorry.” He also threw his support behind California’s Proposition 50, a measure that aims to redraw congressional districts and strip away what he called “extra GOP seats” from Texas.
It’s not the first time Hollywood has taken shots at ICE. Jeff Bridges recently revived The Dude on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to joke, “Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages, man.” And Saturday Night Live has gone after the agency too—Tina Fey once quipped as Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem, “Do you like to use zip ties because people in your life don’t trust you with keys? You know it. Welcome to ICE.”
Lillard is set to return in Scream 7, due for release on February 27, 2026, under Spyglass and Paramount. The twist is his character Stu famously met a gruesome end after Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) dropped a TV on his head. So how does one come back from that? Horror logic, probably. Maybe it’s a flashback, a twin, or just another example of Scream doing what it does best—keeping everyone guessing.
The film, directed by Kevin Williamson, will reunite Lillard with Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, promising a nostalgic yet bloody ride for longtime fans. It’s wild to think that nearly three decades after Scream changed slasher films forever, Lillard is still a fan favorite.
Politics aside, Matthew Lillard’s message about ICE—and about love and about showing up—hit home with a crowd that’s usually more worried about who’s behind the mask.
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