New Freddy Krueger Actor Suggested By ‘NIghtmare on Elm Street’ Director

Chuck Russell, the horror director behind what’s widely regarded as the best sequel in the Freddy Krueger universe, says he wants to return to the slasher franchise. In 1987, Russell made A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the fantasy horror sequel that revived Krueger’s character after Part 2 received negative reviews. It was the director’s debut in a career that has delivered gems like The Blob and the Witchboard remake. Dream Warriors is his most memorable project, and per his latest statement, he still holds it close to his heart. His contribution to the universe of Freddy Krueger is such a huge part of his career that he has shown an intention of returning to Elm Street for one more nightmare.

As reported by Dread Central, Russell was a guest of honor on the podcast Development Hell. Going through the highlights of his career, the Eraser director addressed his time directing Dream Warriors. The fan favorite movie saw Russell incorporating a humorous tone in the land of Freddy Krueger, making the iconic killer much more playful and funnier than before. Although nearly 40 years have passed, Russell says he would love to return to the series:

“I’d love to do another Elm Street if there was the full support of everybody. Patricia Arquette has said she’d like to do it again in the press. Very interesting, because she didn’t talk about it a lot earlier in her career. She was so terrific and went on to have such a great career — I think that’s a good idea too. I still think Robert, for me, is the only Freddy. Were I to be involved in a new Elm Street, A, I’d be delighted, and B, my first goal would be to get Robert involved.”

But Who Should Play Freddy Krueger?

Naturally, the most important question when addressing a future entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series has to do with who plays Freddy Krueger. In terms of “should,” it’s impossible to imagine someone other than Englund giving life to the dream demon, but it’s hard to say whether he could. The actor is almost 80 years old, and age may be an important factor.

When talking about the possibility of returning to the dream world of Freddy Krueger, Russell receives a suggestion from the podcast host that’s actually very interesting. The host asks about comedy legend Jim Carrey, and possibly bringing him in to play the iconic slasher killer. They worked together before in 1994’s The Mask, and Russell seems to be open to the idea of giving Carrey a chance to play Freddy:

“Yeah, that would be great. Jim, in my opinion, could almost do anything if he put his heart into it. 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.”

Runtime

96 minutes

Sequel(s)

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Franchise(s)

A Nightmare on Elm Street