It’s been 16 years, but the time is finally upon us. Paramount Pictures has secured the rights to make a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie from Wes Craven’s estate. This is happening. While much remains unclear for the moment, we know for sure that Fredd Krueger will be making his long-awaited return to the silver screen. We also know that Paramount will need a new actor to don the sweater and claws.
See also: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Is Back In 4K And Better Than Ever
Dating back to the original 1984 horror classic, Robert Englund played Freddy up until 2003 in Freddy vs. Jason. Since Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash didn’t happen, he retired the role at that point, with Jackie Earle Haley taking over for the 2010 remake. Englund, who is now well into his 70s, has made it very clear that the time for him to play Freddy has long since passed. So, a new actor will have to take up the mantle this time around. That being the case, we here at Fango decided to share our personal casting picks for the new Freddy. Take it or leave it, Paramount. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Kyle Gallner
Let's be real about Freddy Krueger: at some point — and it was sooner than we'd maybe like to admit — we started rooting for the razor-gloved dream slasher. It's admirable for filmmakers to want to take him back to his roots and make him a serious, scary threat again, but Freddy's secret sauce is that horror fans liked him. This in turn shaped his evolution, cementing him as a wise-cracking, giddy, campy killer who was FUN to watch. A reboot should figure THAT out, not wring its hands trying to reinvent that wheel.
Elm Street devotees want a Freddy they love, and that starts with the right casting. Solution: fan favorite (and 2010 Elm Street alum) Kyle Gallner. Dude's got the chops to be charming, menacing, and hilarious, and watching him carve his way through Springwood's dreams after being falsely accused and burned to death (yes, it's time to do that, and is the only way to make Krueger's backstory work in 2020-whatever) will have horror fans cheering like it's 1987 (Phil Nobile Jr.).
Jack O’Connell
At 35, Jack O’Connell might seem a little on the younger side to play a gentleman as refined as Freddy, but let’s not forget canonically Mr. Krueger was still in his 20s when he became the dream demon we all know and love, so I think we can have a little leeway here. Across his various horror roles, especially recently in Sinners and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, O’Connell has proven himself to be adept at embodying a certain type of twisted villain, one who carries an undeniable charm in his madness.
If the new Nightmare on Elm Street is to lean into the camp aspects, O’Connell also has comedic chops for days (see: his performance as lovable lad Cook in Skins), while his turn as a terrifying teenage psychopath in James Watkins’ Eden Lake proves he can easily deliver on sinister sadism, should the remake lean into a darker tone. A non-American as Freddy may be as sacrilegious as casting an American as James Bond, but as the Fango news team’s resident Englander, I am duty bound to put this Derby lad’s name into the ring (Amber T).
Stephen Root
Sure, maybe it’s recency bias — not to mention his latest Emmy nomination — but Stephen Root is more than deserving of his time in the spotlight. After a nearly forty-year career comprised of voice work, film roles, and two Emmy noms, he’s perfectly primed to tackle the complexities that come with a slasher as beloved and storied as Freddy Krueger. And if you’ve had a chance to catch him in Widow’s Bay, you’ll know he’s just the right amount of grizzled to bring our favorite knife-handed killer to life (Maggie Boccella).
Erroll Shand
Recency bias is a hell of a thing, isn’t it? Nevertheless, anyone who has seen Evil Dead Burn can probably picture Erroll Shand donning Freddy’s claws pretty easily. The man was absolutely unhinged as Edgar in the latest Evil Dead and he could bring some of that insanity to the role of Freddy for a new generation.
For one, Shand is an actor in his 50s with lots and lots of experience under his belt, starring in everything from Deathgasm to Our Flag Means Death. He’s a working man’s character actor, but the kind of actor who could easily disappear into the role. For as much talk as there was about Kevin Bacon being a great choice for Freddy for a number of years, it’d be hard not to see Kevin Bacon underneath that makeup. Shand doesn’t carry that same baggage with him. At the same time, he’s got serious chops and could bring more than just “scary guy in makeup” to the role.
Beyond that, Freddy isn’t a young guy. He’s a creepy child molester who comes back from the dead to haunt the children of Elm Street. Shand is the right age. He’s got the looks. He’s absolutely got the chops. Sometimes, the obvious choice is the right choice (Ryan Scott).
The new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie doesn’t have a release date yet but stay tuned.
