New Line is getting ready to relaunch the “Nightmare on Elm Street” film franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Platinum Dunes is being sought after in the project that was an original by Wes Craven and made a cult star out of actor Robert Englund, as the utlra-evil and nightmarish Freddy Krueger.
“Nightmare” and its bevy of successful sequels told the story of Krueger, a horrific serial killer that was himself murdered by the parents of one of his child victims. They got their revenge against Freddy by burning him to a crisp. He would later return in the nightmares of teenagers that became all too real to the point that if they were killed by him in their dreams, they died in real life. Freddy’s signature weapon of choice was a bizzare glove with razor sharp extentions on the end of each finger and thumb.
This newest Krueger incarnation will focus more on the manic killer’s backstory. No word yet if Englund will be sought to reprise his most famous role. He is currently 60 years old and in good shape, so anything is possible, but it seems more likely New Line/Platinum Dunes will seek out a younger star for the role in case more sequels are in the offing. Englund is starring in two cult B-movies in 2008, “2001 Maniacs: Beverly Hellbillys, currently in production and “Zombie Strippers,” which has just completed filming.
Once the WGA strike is resolved production on a script will commence. Michael Bay (“Transformers”) will produce with Brad Fuller and Andrew Form.
I don’t know. Can it hold up to others? What made the Nightmare franchise good was him stalking them in their dreams and if they focus on his back story they will take that away unless they find a way to include it in the movie. Mabye if they tell why he was able to defy death and haunt nightmares I could see that working.
I thought his “motivation” was the fact that his mother was a nun that was raped by 100 maniacs in a mental hospital, then was later placed with a drunk that repeatedly beat him. As far as how he got his powers, that was covered in one of the movies, too. I vaguely remember a 3-D sequence where he was given his abilities.