There are few genres that go through peaks and troughs more than horror. For every successful run of movies, there is a period where nothing lands and everything becomes the same old churn of sequels and remakes until the genre seems to be as dead and buried as some of its most famous villains. From the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, some of horror’s most enduring and iconic monsters and killers were born amid a rush of hits that left the behind the “safe” horror of the last few decades and delivered something more violent and bloodthirsty with characters that were instantly recognisable. While many characters of this period hid behind masks, one required the actor playing him to deliver a real performance to portray a heinous child murderer and turn him into a cultural icon. Now, the 1984 movie that started his reign of terror is slashing its way into the HBO Max Top 10 and reminding everyone why a reboot faces an impossible task in finding a new actor.
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The film is obviously A Nightmare on Elm Street and the actor is Robert Englund. In 1984, Wes Craven directed a movie that took a slasher genre filled with masked, silent characters such as Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Leatherface, and gave it the ultimate villain who came with a slick line of dialogue and a face that only a mother could love. That face became the key to the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street, as Englund’s face leered through layers of prosthetics and terrified audiences as Freddy Krueger. Despite now being over 40 years old, Craven’s original movie – along with the two sequels he directed – stand among some of the greatest and most inventive horror movies of all time, and still stand up today among some lessor imitators. The film’s reappearance on the HBO Max chart in the U.S. is proof enough that even with hundreds of newer horror movies available, there is something about Freddy that just keeps on ticking and bringing new and old audiences back to Elm Street.
Replacing Robert Englund Is a Nightmare
Like every horror franchise, the idea of new sequels and a reboot is never too far away from the thoughts of studio bosses. Englund’s run as Freddy continued from his 1984 debut, through six sequels, a TV series, and a crossover with Friday the 13th in Freddy vs. Jason, as well as several small guest appearances. Now, at the age of 79, Englund himself has said on several occasions that playing Freddy again would be something he could not do due to the physical nature of the character and that poses a big question for any future movies. Who could possibly replace Englund as Freddy Krueger? In 2010, a reboot of the franchise attempted to answer that question by casting Jackie Earle Haley in the role, but the film did not connect with audiences and it appeared the franchise was dead without Englund under the make-up.
Yet, after years in legal hell, talk of a new Nightmare movie has been summoned up again with several directors eager to have their shot at reviving Freddy Krueger for a new generation. But can it ever work without Robert Englund and without simply retreading the same story that Craven told back in 1984? Anyone can play Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees for the simple reason that the character’s appearance is defined by a full face mask and performance is all about physical dominance and presence. Englund had to actually perform as Freddy, his face became the monster and that is the part that has become so impossible to replace as whatever Freddy merchandise or appearance you see, it is the face of Englund that you are seeing. Replacing him is just the same as replacing an iconic company logo that has been around for almost half a century and expecting people to just forget what came before. As fans return to Elm Street again this Halloween, it is perhaps a sign that this is one franchise that really does not need to be rebooted again and should be just left to exist in its best form.
Who do you think could replace Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger? Kevin Bacon? Some guy on the internet who does a good impression? Let us know in the comments.
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