Stu Macher

Stu Macher is the secondary antagonist of the 1996 horror film, Scream. He is the eccentric accomplice of mastermind killer, Billy Loomis, who recruits him after Roman Bridger's suggestion.

He is also the younger brother of Leslie Macher and uncle of Vince Schneider. During the events of Scream, he is the boyfriend of fellow Woodsboro High senior, Tatum Riley, and ex-boyfriend of murder victim, Casey Becker.

He was played by Matthew Lillard.

Early history
Stu is born in late-1978 or 1979 to the Macher parents. He grew up in 261 Turner Lane, Woodsboro, California, a large farmhouse with his sibling(s) and parents. His older sister, Leslie has moved out by the time he is a high school senior.

As a Woodsboro High senior, he is the fun-loving, insensitive boyfriend of supporting character, Tatum Riley. Previously, he dated Casey until she dumped him for Steven Orth, a football player.

One year prior
Billy Loomis is given tapes by LA-native, Roman Bridger exposing Hank Loomis, Billy's father having an affair with Billy's girlfriend, Sidney's mother, Maureen. Roman convinces Billy to kill her, and gives a tip to "sell out a partner to frame in case you get caught". This partner chosen is Stu, and he is completely oblivious to why they choose to kill Maureen, other than it being fun and watching a lot of horror movies to prepare.

Within the following year, Billy and Stu have successfully gotten away with murder. During this timeframe, it inspired confidence in them to continue on and create their own killing spree, inspired by their favorite horror movies.

During this timeframe or possibly one year earlier, Stu's girlfriend, Casey Becker dumps him. She then initiates a relationship with Steven Orth. In the embarrassment and shame, he pursues Tatum Riley. He lies to Tatum, telling her he dumped his ex-girlfriend, Casey, rather than the other way around.


 * Speculation: It has been suggested Stu only dated Tatum to be in proximity to Sidney Prescott, the next ultimate revenge target. Despite this, they would have been in each other's circles regardless, for at least two years by the beginning of Scream (1996), as their best friends have been dating for two years (since 1994).

One year anniversary
Close to one year since killing Maureen, the pair choose Casey, Stu's ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Steve, to be their first two victims. After killing them sometime after 10pm, they kidnap Neil Prescott and Stu keeps him captive for the next two days at his house where he is home alone. Stu then spends the rest of the night at Tatum's.

The next day, the friendship group discuss the murders. The only singleton of the group, Randy, drills Stu upon Sidney pointing out that he used to date Casey. Later, Stu attacks Sidney at her house, while Billy implicates himself for the crime. Sidney is also attacked in the bathroom by him, prompting school to be cancelled. Billy kills Principal Himbry and Stu, meanwhile, arranges a party get-together. Later, Stu's party occurs at his house after classes are canceled and citywide curfew is placed. After the guests leave, following news of Principal Arthur Himbry's murder, Stu and Billy plan their confrontation against Sidney.

Cameraman Kenny Brown and Sidney later fearfully watch Randy Meeks, drunk inside the residence of Stu's house while Ghostface has crept up behind him. They observe him through the video camera secretly placed inside Stu's living room by Gale Weathers. However, Kenny forgets the 30-second delay, with Stu having already exited outside, and throat-slashes him. Later, Stu throws him on top of the news van.

Stu and Billy reveal their plan to Sidney, including how they are going to frame her father, Neil Prescott. Billy and Stu begin to stab each other to make themselves look like the victims of their scapegoat. Stu claims that after watching several horror films, they know how to frame and get away with murder. However, Billy stabs him too deep and Stu begins bleeding profusely, complaining of "feeling a little woozy" and appears to be dying. Sidney runs off after the two men are distracted by Gale.

With Billy unconscious, a bleeding-to-death Stu makes one final assault charge at Sidney. He tackles her, and shouts that he "always had a thing for [her]", as he has her pinned down. She bites his hand, however, then hits him with a vase, and drops a 50-inch CRT TV on his head, saying "In your dreams!", electrocuting him to death.

Gale's book and Stab franchise
In the second film, it is revealed Stu and his partner, Billy Loomis became immortalized on-screen with the slasher franchise, Stab (1998—present), consisting of eight films (three based loosely on true events). The identity of the actor portraying him in the original Stab film is revealed to be Vince Vaughn. (Off-screen, revealed in the fifth film through Easter Egg cameo). The murders inspire four copycat killing sprees, all of which his target, Sidney Prescott survives.

The original Stab film is adapted from reporter, Gale Weathers' best-selling novel, The Woodsboro Murders (published 1997) about the crimes he committed. In her book, Gale has exaggerated and states Kenny Brown, who Stu throat-slashed to death, was gutted. This almost certainly correspondingly translated into the first Stab film. Chad Meeks-Martin, Randy's nephew, remarks the film as being about his uncle getting stabbed (mentioned in the fifth film). Despite this, Stu, as audiences watched, had not actually done this in the real-life events, because he jumped at the opportunity to throat-slash Kenny instead.

Birth of Nephew
(Off-screen, revealed in the fifth film): Also, in the late-90s, his older sister Leslie Macher gave birth to a son, Vince Schneider.

The Windsor College Murders
In Scream 2 (1997 film), it is now the Spring of 1998, and approximately two years since Sidney killed Stu in self-defence. During the Windsor College Murders, Stu is mentioned. Just before Randy Meeks is killed on Windsor College Campus, he questions the copycat killer's motive. Speaking to the Ghostface entity through Gale's phone, he makes some critical commentary.

Randy questions why the killer is copying "two loser, high school dick-heads". He refers to Stu as a "pussy-ass wet rag" before insulting Billy. He calls Billy a "homo-repressed mama's boy". This drives the killer, later revealed to be Billy's own mother, Nancy Loomis to grab Randy into cameraman, Joel Martin's news van and stab him repeatedly to death.

Stu is also referenced in a subtextual way. Nancy betrays her accomplice, Mickey Altieri, in a similar vein to Billy, who stabs Stu a little too deep. She shoots him almost fatally.

Hollywood
Stu and Billy are mentioned again briefly in Scream 3 (2000). After Cotton Weary, who Stu originally framed for his first murder, is brutally murdered himself in February 2000, approximately 4 years after Stu's killing of Maureen Prescott in October 1995. It sparks a new chain of events, redirecting Sidney to her past, as well as that of her mother's.

Later, actors for the original, cancelled Stab 3, Sarah Darling, Tom Prinze, Tyson Fox and Angelina Tyler are seen discussing Cotton's murder outside a Sunrise Studios set-version of Stu's house, 261 Turner Lane.

After Tom Prinze dies at Jennifer Jolie's exploded mansion, the killer credits himself as Maureen's killer, with a photo left behind at the scene of the crime. This is in deliberate contradiction to the known events of the original film's ending, sparking a chain of events leading to the conclusion of the real-life trilogy.

Gale mentions Stu to an LAPD Detective Mark Kincaid, identifying him (as well as Billy) as Maureen's killer. She states they "even told Sidney how they did it". Later, when Sidney goes into the movie set version of her house, 34 Elm Street, both of their voices play as she reminisces. Stu's words, "We put her out of her misery, because let's face it Sidney, your mother was no Sharon Stone."

15th Anniversary Remake Massacre
Stu is referenced when Jill betrays Charlie, "like Billy and Stu". The final act of the remake being set at a friend's house, in this case Kirby Reed's residence, 329 Whispering Lane, is a reference to his house in the original. In the Remake format, Charlie Walker became the millennial generation's Stu Macher.

25th Anniversary Legacy Killings
Billy's daughter, Sam Carpenter refers to Stu as his "friend" who "carved up a bunch of high school kids while wearing this Halloween ghost mask". (Technically, both also killed two adults each. But this was a broad generalization to explain to her boyfriend Richie, who poses as unfamiliar with the films rather than a Stab fanatic.).

Later, Vince Schneider is the first victim of a new Ghostface killing spree. Amber Freeman (the other secret killer) tells the group at Martha Meeks's house that he was the nephew of Stu. Meanwhile, Tara's friend, Liv McKenzie is unfamiliar with Stu (as are some of the others). When asked, Dewey explains he was Billy's accomplice. Having processed this information, Sam suggests the killer is targeting people related to the original killers.

Later, Richie watches a YouTube video that makes a criticism of the eighth Stab film, where a recommended video can be seen uploaded by a True Crime channel titled "Did the Real Stu Macher Survive?"

A brief reference to Stu is made by Richie. When Tara is targeted at the hospital, she hits Richie with a phone. Later, Richie asks "Did you hit me with a phone?" as Ghostface (Amber) appears behind him to fake his attack.

Stu's old house 261 Turner Lane is revealed to be resided in by Amber, as Sidney warns Sam after tracking her. Just like Stu, she holds a party to set up Act 3. Sidney also states it is the house where her dad "and Stu killed everyone", though Tatum Riley was the only victim inside the house. It is possible this is a reference to Stab, if not a writing goof.

Murders committed

 * Maureen Prescott (Alongside Billy Loomis)
 * Casey Becker (Caused, alongside Billy Loomis)
 * Steven Orth
 * Kenny Brown