A Nightmare on Elm Streetis one of the definitive films of horror history. NowThe Haunting of Hill Housecreator Mike Flanagan has expressed interest in bringing the Freddy Krueger franchise back to life.
Englund returned to the big screen in 2003 to take on Jason Voorhees inFreddy vs. Jason, butEnglund’s Freddy Krueger was switchedout for Jackie Earle Haley in the forgettable and misguided 2010 remake. Since then,horrorfans have been clamouring for anotherA Nightmare on Elm Streetmovie, specifically an installment with Englund and Nancy actress Heather Langenkamp.
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That anxiousA Nightmare on Elm Streetfanbase includes directors like Mike Flanagan, the creator of Netflix’sperfect Halloween showsThe Haunting of Hill House,The Haunting of Bly Manor, andMidnight Mass. Flanagan has had a lot of success since directing Karen Gillan inOculusin 2013, and his hope now is to travel to Elm Street. Flanagan hopped on theScript Apart, but the news wasn’t all encouraging. “One of the ones that has been on my list forever is Nightmare on Elm Street. Boy, that would be fun. I have a whole take for it that I worked out a couple of years ago. And my understanding is the rights situation for that title is so fraught, no one knows who controls it really. No one knows who to pitch,” Flanagan said. “So I keep telling my agents, like, ‘Send me in on A Nightmare on Elm Street.’ And they’re like, ‘We’d love to. We have no idea who you should talk to.’”
Flanagan even said he’s spoken with Langenkamp about it at length, who has previously made it knownshe’s up for anotherNightmare on Elm Street. But, rights issues can tank a franchise for years, as seen recently via the extended legal battle overFriday the 13th. That dust has settled, and further projects for Jason have been announced, but news has been noticeably light on Freddy.
Given the success ofScreamin 2022, the anticipation for the, unfortunately,Neve Campbell-freeScream 6, and the varied success of David Gordon Green’sHalloweentrilogy, now is the time. If the rights can be procured and Flanagan and Langenkamp are on board, there’s no reason to expect Englund to say anything other than an enthusiastic “Yes.”
A Nightmare on Elm Streetisn’t necessarily a franchise that needs a full reboot trilogy, given that Englund is now 75 years old. With that said, Liam Neeson is 70 and currently starring inMarlowe,while Jamie Lee Curtis successfullykilled Michael Myers inHalloween Endsat the age of 63. Time will tell, but hopefully, the right people will be in front of and behind the camera.
A Nightmare of Elm Street(1984) is available on Amazon Prime Video.
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