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Freddy, Steady, Go: Robert Englund Reveals Who He Wants To See Play Freddy Krueger Next

For horror hounds everywhere, there is one icon of the genre who has had a particularly rough time of late.

By Tom ChapmanPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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'Wes Craven's New Nightmare' [Credit: New Line]

For horror hounds everywhere, there is one icon of the genre who has had a particularly rough time of late. With his sharp wit and his razor glove, who could ever forget the nightmare-inducing might that was once Freddy Krueger? There have been some nine #FreddyKrueger movies with two men donninh the moniker, but the role of the burned bastard will always be synonymous with horror legend #RobertEnglund.

Now, as Freddy lingers in a graveyard of inferior sequels and a diabolical reboot, Englund seems to be facing up to the fact that he may never play killer Krueger again. Although 70-year-old Englund played the role for nearly 20 years — and seems open to a return — he has revealed who he would like to pass that razor glove to as his Freddy successor.

The Nightmare Isn't Over

Speaking to Cinema Blend, Englund tipped the fedora toward his top choice to continue the legacy of the smart-mouthed serial killer, and it is none other than #KevinBacon:

"Well the gossip I've heard, and I don't know how valid this is, but there has been some talk about using, or perhaps he's been approached, Kevin Bacon. Yeah. I think that would be great. He's in one of my favorite little horror movies, Stir of Echoes, and you should check it out if you haven't seen in. And I just think Kevin's the right size. I think he respects horror movies. He doesn't make fun of them. I think it would be real interesting."

Unlike the interchangeable faces who have played masked menaces like Michael or Jason, Freddy has largely fallen under the tenure of Englund. Of course, there was the "other" Freddy, with #JackieEarleHaley portraying the Springwood Slasher in Samuel Bayer's abysmal Elm Street reboot in 2010. Interestingly, Haley wasn't a bad Freddy at all, and even provided a darker edge, but it was the film in general that let him down.

Officially one of the worst remake movies ever, Bayer's film canned New Line's plans to start a new era of movies for the infamous street. Since then, Krueger has remained "Fred" and buried, waiting to claw his way from the grave once more. What we should note here is that Englund implies that there have already been talks of Bacon taking over the role. Does this mean the world of horror is ready to unlock the door to 1428 Elm Street once again?

Fans know that the man behind Krueger can't just be some nameless grunt who carves up a fresh batch of teens. Freddy's schtick was always his menacing one-liners. Even if the later Elm movies were mired by a campy Freddy performance, Englund and audiences rolled with the punches to keep the psychotic pedophile as the focal point. You only need to look at the uber-meta Wes Craven's New Nightmare to see how to reinvent Freddy properly.

The only way to move forward now is to burn the reboot to the ground and start again. Sadly, there is nothing to salvage from Bayer's entry — sorry, Jackie — and it is definitely a case of trying to forget that nightmare ever happened. As for Bacon sticking on a striped sweater and heading to Springwood, it is hard not to picture just how amazing that would look. For those questioning the actor's villainous streak, let's not forget he portrayed Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class, the unhinged Dr. Caine in Hollow Man, and even did a pseudo-Krueger performance as child molester Walter in 2004's The Woodsman.

What's even better, Bacon had previously expressed an interest in playing Freddy if the situation should ever arise. New Line should definitely get in touch with Kev's people. I mean, just imagine "one, two, Bacon's coming for you."

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About the Creator

Tom Chapman

Tom is a Manchester-based writer with square eyes and the love of a good pun. Raised on a diet of Jurassic Park, this ’90s boy has VHS flowing in his blood. No topic is too big for this freelancer by day, crime-fighting vigilante by night.

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