It’s been more than 20 years since Robert Englund last donned the claws as Freddy Krueger in a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie dating back to 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason. He did return for an episode of The Goldbergs several years back, but that’s it. There has been a great deal of hope for a long time amongst fans that, with all of the slasher reboots and legacy sequels happening, Englund might – just might – come back once more. Unfortunately, the actor has pretty definitively ruled that out, save for a possible cameo in a remake or voicing the character in animation.
Englund recently spoke with the folks at Bloody Disgusting in honor of the upcoming 4K release of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. Wes Craven's slasher classic also happens to be turning 40 this year. Naturally, the actor was asked whether or not he’s got one more performance as Freddy in him. Englund was pretty blunt in his response. Here’s what he had to say about it:
“I don’t. I literally don’t. I mean, there might be some gimmick thing we could do with a close-up or something, but no, I can’t play him anymore. I’m too old,”
“There’s no Freddy left in me,” Englund later added. “I could possibly voice a really high-end, animated version. That would be nice to be asked to do, but I know I can’t do the fight scenes more than one take now, one angle. I just can’t be snapping my head or anything like that. I’m an old dog! Give me a break,”
For what it’s worth, Englund is 77. There is no official talk of a new Elm Street movie. Even if one entered development today, the actor would be pushing 80. Spending all of that time in the makeup chair is a lot for anyone. At that age? I can’t even imagine. Beyond that, Freddy is a very physical role. So it’s not difficult to see the actor’s point, disappointing though that may be to accept.
Who knows? Maybe they could go the 2021 Candyman route and find a way to have Englund play Freddy very briefly while passing the torch to someone new. Or, as the actor who played the role for the entirety of his on-screen existence, maybe he could have a cameo as someone else in a reboot/remake.
“I would love to be invited if they reboot Part 3, Dream Warriors, which I think is the most popular film of the franchise. It would be fun to play one of the doctors. The great Priscilla Pointer, Amy Irving’s mother, was in that film. Maybe I could play her part as a male doctor that’s very cynical. A cameo wink to the audience that I don’t buy that there’s this dream demon that everybody’s having the same dream about. It’s in the tradition of remakes, especially with horror, to give an actor that’s been in the original a little cameo, so I think that would be fun.”
A Nightmare on Elm Street on 4K Ultra HD hits shelves on October 15. For more, check out FANGORIA #64 from the archives, which features Dream Warriors on the cover.
