We've been hearing that there might be some movement on a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie for a while at this stage, but If and when Freddy Krueger does return to the screen, fans shouldn't expect to see Robert Englund back in the iconic bladed glove and striped jumper.
“There’s no Freddy left in me," he told Bloody Disgusting in a recent interview. "I could possibly voice a really high-end animated version. That would be nice to be asked to do, but I know I can’t do the fight scenes more than one take now, one angle. I just can’t be snapping my head or anything like that. I’m an old dog! Give me a break.”
Chuck Russell, the co-writer and director of what many fans consider to be the best movie in the franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, has expressed interest in returning to helm another movie, and though he notes that Englund “is the only Freddy” to him, he does have a very interesting idea for the actor who could take over the role: Jim Carrey.
“Jim, in my opinion, could almost do anything if he put his heart into it,” he said on Dread Central’s Development Hell podcast. “For Jim to do it, we’d have to do something that was another leap in the Elm Street series — a little bit like what Wes did with his very meta New Nightmare. I think Jim would only consider it, and I’d only consider harnessing Jim, if there was a bold new direction for Elm Street.”
Russell, who previously worked with Carrey on The Mask, hasn't confirmed that he's actually had any discussions about directing a new ANOES movie, but it sounds like he may have spoken to the actor about it.
The Hollywood Reporter recently asked New Line Cinema President and Chief Creative Officer Richard Brener if a new movie was in development, and was given a somewhat optimistic response.
“We hope so. It’s complicated because of the rights.”
The U.S. rights to the A Nightmare of Elm Street franchise reverted to the estate of writer-director Wes Craven back in 2019, but New Line retains the international rights. Last we heard, the estate was "taking pitches," but they still need New Line on board or a deal with another domestic distributor to move forward with a new movie.
In Wes Craven's classic slasher film, several Midwestern teenagers fall prey to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a disfigured midnight mangler who preys on the teenagers in their dreams -- which, in turn, kills them in reality. After investigating the phenomenon, Nancy (Heather Langenkamp) begins to suspect that a dark secret kept by her and her friends' parents may be the key to unraveling the mystery, but can Nancy and her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp) solve the puzzle before it's too late?