Robert Englund’s pitch for how he could return as A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger would break franchise tradition in an intriguing way. The 1980s was a golden period for the creation of iconic movie slashers, with Jason Voorhees, Pinhead, Chucky and many more all making their screen debuts. The Nightmare on Elm Street movies began in 1984 and introduced audiences to Freddy Krueger, who, in contrast to the mute killers who were in vogue at the time, was quite verbose and prone to bad-liners as he slayed victims.
Robert Englund played Freddy across eight movies and a TV series, signing off with the 2003 crossover Freddy vs Jason. Jackie Earle Haley inherited Freddy’s fedora for 2010’s poorly received remake – which only underlined how vital Englund had been to A Nightmare on Elm Street’s success. The franchise has been absent from the big screen ever since, while Robert Englund has stated he is too old to play Freddy again. The problem there is, it’s genuinely hard to picture any other actor playing the part.
Robert Englund Could Make Nightmare On Elm Street Move To Animation For The First Time
Freddy Krueger could become even more animated than usual
2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the original Wes Craven movie, but there are still no plans for a new Nighhtmare. Englund also told Bloody Disgusting that there is “no Freddy left” in him, and that he can’t do the fight scenes or the physical side of the part any longer. One suggestion Englund made is that he “… could possibly voice a really high-end, animated version” of A Nightmare on Elm Street. While this was a throwaway suggestion, it could be something worth looking at in more detail.
An animated version of A Nightmare on Elm Street would not only allow Englund to return as Freddy, but it could expand the universe even wider.
Freddy has graced everything from video games to comic books, but he has never fronted an animated film or TV series. An animated version of A Nightmare on Elm Street would not only allow Englund to return as Freddy, but it could expand the universe even wider. The films were often constrained by their modest budgets, but an animated Nightmare would put few limits on how creative the dream sequences could be. It would also allow Mr Krueger himself to morph into any number of forms.
An Animated Nightmare On Elm Street Movie Could Revitalize The Franchise
Freddy has been away from Elm Street for far too long
It’s strange that in an era of legacy sequels like Halloween or Candyman that there hasn’t been a serious effort to revive A Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s been suggested rights issues are to blame, but whatever the case might be, Freddy Krueger has been absent for far too long. Englund’s pitch for an animated Nightmare on Elm Street could be the perfect way to bring the property back from the dead, however.
Every A Nightmare on Elm Street Movie | Release Year |
|---|---|
A Nightmare on Elm Street | 1984 |
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge | 1985 |
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors | 1987 |
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master | 1988 |
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child | 1989 |
Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare | 1991 |
Wes Craven’s New Nightmare | 1994 |
Freddy vs Jason | 2003 |
A Nightmare on Elm Street | 2010 |
It would reintroduce the saga after a long break in a fresh way, and allow the filmmakers behind it to push the fantasy elements like never before. Shows like Castlevania or even 2024’s Uzimaki adaptation show animated horror is alive and kicking, while Englund returning to voice Freddy only makes the concept more attractive. When A Nightmare on Elm Street inevitably returns it will likely be as a live-action movie – but an animated take does sound like an experiment worth attempting.
Robert Englund briefly reprised Freddy Krueger for a cameo appearance on an episode of
The Goldbergs
.
Source: Bloody Disgusting
A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Nightmare on Elm Street is a horror franchise that began with the 1984 film directed by Wes Craven. The series centers on Freddy Krueger, a former child killer who, after being burned alive by the parents of his victims, returns as a vengeful spirit who kills teenagers in their dreams. The franchise became a cornerstone of the horror genre, spawning nine films, a television series, novels, comics, video games, and more. Freddy Krueger, portrayed by Robert Englund in most of the films, is one of the most iconic characters in horror history. The series is known for its imaginative and terrifying dream sequences, blending slasher elements with supernatural horror.
Summary
The Nightmare on Elm Street is a horror franchise that began with the 1984 film directed by Wes Craven. The series centers on Freddy Krueger, a former child killer who, after being burned alive by the parents of his victims, returns as a vengeful spirit who kills teenagers in their dreams. The franchise became a cornerstone of the horror genre, spawning nine films, a television series, novels, comics, video games, and more. Freddy Krueger, portrayed by Robert Englund in most of the films, is one of the most iconic characters in horror history. The series is known for its imaginative and terrifying dream sequences, blending slasher elements with supernatural horror.
