Robert Englund Reveals Why We Haven’t Had a New ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ in 15 Years

by

Horror icon Robert Englund, famous for playing Freddy Krueger, thinks he knows why there hasn’t been a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie in over 15 years. The last film was a poorly received reboot in 2010 (though his guest appearance on The Goldbergs was a fun moment!), and since then, the series has stalled.

In a recent interview with IndieWire celebrating the 40th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, actor Robert Englund shared his thoughts on why the Freddy franchise hasn’t been revisited despite revivals of other horror series like Final Destination. Englund believes the main reason Freddy Krueger hasn’t returned to the screen is simply that getting so many people involved in a new project has proven too complicated.

A lot of different people and companies share ownership of the project. When Wes died, his estate inherited a significant number of rights – things like character names, storylines, and other creative elements he’d developed. New Line Cinema is heavily involved, but many of those rights ended up with Ted Turner and then were transferred to Warner Bros., who now control a large portion of it. I understand Michael Bay and Blumhouse have also expressed interest and been part of the conversation.

Englund Shares His Vision to Revive the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ Franchise (And It Sounds Awesome)


Warner Bros. Pictures

A common debate surrounding the future of the Nightmare on Elm Street series is whether to continue the story with a new sequel or completely restart it with a reboot. In 2010, producers Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller attempted a reboot, casting Rooney Mara and Jackie Earle Haley as Nancy and Freddy Krueger. However, that film wasn’t well-received.

Englund felt the 2010 remake of the film came too soon. While he enjoyed the performances of the actors involved, he believed the timing wasn’t right. He also shared his thoughts on how to approach remakes and new projects, suggesting a focus on what deserves a reboot versus what should be entirely original. His ideas are quite thought-provoking.

I expect the franchise will be revived at some point. When they do, I think they could make a sequel that works on its own, and really explore how Freddy psychologically messes with Jesse and his mind.

I think the best approach would be to avoid revisiting the first Nightmare film. Instead, we should either create a story set before the original, or begin a new series with Dream Warriors, which was the most successful and popular installment. I’d remake parts 3, 4, and 5, and then conclude the entire franchise with the prequel story.

Read More

2025-11-09 18:32