Is Freddy’s Nightmares real? Nightmare on Elm Street 8 explained

❘ Published: 2023-12-26T19:28:13

Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street

New Line Cinema

Freddy’s ominous presence looms in Nightmare on Elm Street 8, as suggested by a recent announcement stating that Freddy’s Nightmares is set to release on Halloween 2024. Is this revelation a reality, or is it merely a dream?

Wes Craven’s slasher franchise began in 1984, introducing an iconic horror villain to the world: Freddy Krueger, a child murderer whose vicious, cackling spirit terrorizes the dreams of local teens. In Springwood, falling asleep may as well be a death sentence.

The first movie was a rare all-rounder: rave reviews, beloved by horror fans, and it raked in millions at the box office. It kicked off a series with six sequels, a decade-defining big-screen fight against Jason Vorhees, and a widely dismissed remake.

It’s been 20 years since Freddy vs Jason, but a brand-new entry in the franchise is supposedly coming out next year – is it actually happening?

Is Freddy’s Nightmares happening?

No, Freddy’s Nightmares isn’t happening, nor is A Nightmare on Elm Street 8 in the works.

These rumors come courtesy of YODA BBY ABY, a Facebook page dedicated to satire and made-up news. It shared a fake poster for Freddy’s Nightmares, the eighth movie in the series presented by Wes Craven – despite him being dead since 2015.

The caption, all of which is a total lie, also reads: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 8!!! Get ready for a chilling Halloween treat with Wes Craven Presents Freddy’s Nightmares, the eighth installment in the iconic A Nightmare on Elm Street series.

“Unleashing on Halloween 2024 from Warner Brothers, this spine-tingling film stars the legendary Robert Englund reprising his role as Freddy Krueger. Brace yourself for a gripping origin story as you witness the torment young Fred Krueger endured at the hands of his brutal parents, haunted by nightmarish visions hinting at an ancient demonic force that would shape the birth of the infamous nightmare slayer.”

Englund has no plans to reprise the role, although he told Variety that Kevin Bacon should wear the claw gloves whenever the franchise returns “I know he respects the genre, and he’s such a fine physical actor. I think that in the silences and in the way Kevin moves — it would be interesting,” he said.

Another reboot was first reported to be in the works in 2015, with Aquaman and Orphan scribe David Leslie Johnson tapped to write the script. It’s remained in development hell ever since, and it’s unclear if it’ll ever actually see the screen.

This also comes off the back of other viral fake movies like The Christmas Express, John Krasinski’s Die Hard remake, Andy Serkis’ standalone Smeagol movie, Dwayne Johnson’s live-action Popeye, and just this past weekend, a Firefly sequel called Serenity: Echoes of Tranquility – none of them are real.

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