Actor and producer Elijah Wood has ideas for a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie, but thinks the franchise needs to leave Freddy behind. It’s been nearly an entire decade since the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street remake hit theaters, and despite that film’s poor reception, it’s likely most horror fans would agree that the world is past due for more Freddy Krueger. The Nightmare on Elm Street series remains one of the most beloved in horror, regardless of the remake’s problems.
Last fall, thanks to a provision of U.S. copyright law, the American rights to A Nightmare on Elm Street and all its connected characters reverted to the estate of late writer/director Wes Craven. By November, it became known that the estate was taking pitches on how best to reboot the franchise, although nothing more on that has come out since. One assumes there’s plenty of people in Hollywood with ideas on how to accomplish that goal, and one of them is none other than Elijah Wood.
During a recent chat with Bloody Disgusting, Wood revealed what he would do if given the chance to shepherd a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Unfortunately, his ideas may well be rejected by fans.
Wood: Nightmare On Elm Street Should Move On From Freddy
While Elijah Wood isn’t likely to receive much of an argument against the idea that A Nightmare on Elm Street shouldn’t be rebooted via another version of Freddy Krueger’s origin story, or bringing back Robert Englund to play Freddy, his other comments will probably draw fire. A Nightmare on Elm Street’s premise and universe may have enough creative potential to support films unrelated to the Springwood Slasher, but that’s not the problem. The problem is that Freddy Krueger is an iconic character, in some ways bigger than the franchise that spawned him. Horror fans love him, and are extremely unlikely to support his retirement.
You can’t just reboot it…you can’t tell the same story over again. It’s already been done. You can’t do an origin story with Freddy Krueger again; that’s already been done twice. You almost have to let Freddy go and move into a different direction. I think you bring Freddy along for the ride initially, but you have to go somewhere else with it because it’s such well-trodden ground. I think [Englund] has to be [in it]. I think you have to. To honor that series. To honor that character. To honor [Wes] Craven. I think you have to do that, and then you can express beyond that. He said he wants to do one last film as well.
The idea of moving on from or phasing out Freddy’s involvement in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise may well have some merit, as it’s hard for many to imagine anyone else playing the character but Robert Englund. Bringing the 72-year-old actor back to facilitate some kind of passing of the slasher torch isn’t an illogical notion, but people don’t usually think of their favorite movies and characters with logic, they do it with their hearts. No Nightmare on Elm Street fan’s heart will be up for the prospect of doing further films without Freddy. For that reason, Elijah Wood’s idea for a new movie isn’t likely to go far.
More: All The Nightmare on Elm Street Movies, Ranked
Source: Bloody Disgusting
