Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema have given it the greenlight, calling the movie A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, so it’s definitely a reboot in the same vein as the upcoming FRIDAY THE 13th redo and the recent TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and HALLOWEEN remakes.
In truth, it’s the last of the big four slasher movies that changed the whole landscape of the genre in the 70’s and 80’s to be remade. The movie will begin filming no later than the summer according to comments made to Bloody Disgusting today.
Wesley Strick (CAPE FEAR) has wrote the movie which currently has no director or cast. Sadly the producers say that although they want Robert Englund back for a cameo, it will be a new actor playing the iconic part of Krueger and donning the red and green sweater with the glove of knives.
Strick told rival site Shock Till You Drop…
“It’s like what we’re doing to Friday the 13th,” says Fuller. “It’s not Freddy cracking jokes. We want to make a horrifying movie. The concept is so scary, don’t fall asleep or you’ll die. This guy gets you when you’re most vulnerable, in your sleep. We love that. That’s the basis of the movie. It’ll be most similar to the first one but in terms of kills and dreams we’ll borrow from the entire series.
He is saying the right things and I’ve always contended that the original NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET had one of the scariest horror concepts of all time. I remember many late nights watching that original Freddy movie scared shitless of a demon who would get you in your sleep. Is their nothing more terrifying than that, his original incarnation if far from the goofy pop culture figure he became.
We’ve previously heard the rumor of Billy Bob Thornton being approached for the new series. Good actor but Englund is the only Freddy I wanna see. And he ain’t that over the hill he couldn’t do this. Let’s hope they reconsider once they meet Englund for the movie.
2 Comments
Didn’t Robert England say something like he wanted to see someone else do it? Like passing on the torch? Maybe I just imagined that.
I can’t imagine Freddy being played by anyone but Englund. It’s his unique looks and personality that made the character as popular as it was – even back then, most other actors would have made a lesser villain and maybe a lesser movie.
It’s not impossible, I just can’t imagine who would be able to fill his shoes. Certainly not Thornton – the character of Freddy needs to be unimposing and slightly wimpy physically, empowered only by his glove and dream powers. Anyone who’s physically threatening (apart from the burns) would make the character a different thing altogether.