We’re at a crucial moment in horror history, where all the great franchises of the 70s and 80s are being rebooted…Again! And soon, we will see new versions of Jason, Leatherface, Pinhead and Freddy. While most of these classic monsters wear a mask, or are for the most part silent, Freddy Krueger stands out as a perennial jokester who was toned down in the original 2010 reboot, withJackie Earle Haleytaking on a much darker persona than the one portrayed by originatorRobert Englund. While big name stars aren’t particularly needed to bring the other slashers back to life on the big screen, Freddy definitely has the most wining personality. And it makes sense that in rebooting the franchise a second time, New Line would need a really great, perhaps even iconic, actor. Maybe someone with marquee value. So why notKevin Bacon?
Yes. Kevin Bacon. The man is no stranger to genre movies, with such classics asFlatliners,Tremorsand Stir of Echoes on his resume. This past year, he starred in the truly frightening thrillerThe Darkness, and he got his big Hollywood break acting in the originalFriday the 13th! So why not take onA Nightmare on Elm Streetnext? It was actually a fan that suggested he come aboard to take over asFreddy Krueger. And surprisingly,Kevin Baconhimself responded back onTwitter.
“I like the way you think!”
Sadly, with theNightmarereboot still sitting at Platinum Dunes, there doesn’t appear to be any new movement on the reboot, though it has often been discussed over the years. The 2010 remake really left a bad taste in fans mouths, and it’s clear that no one has figure out how to move forward with the languishinghorror franchise. David Leslie Johnson, who scriptedOrphanandThe Conjuring 2is currently attached to write a new draft of the Elm Street remake.
No one is really sure what is going on with Freddy Krueger or when he’ll return to theaters. It really isn’t even known if David Leslie Johnson is still working on the movie for New Line. It certainly would be fun to see someone likeKevin Bacontackle the role, as most A list Hollywood actors often shy away from the horror genre, where a lot of them got their start.
In recent months,Kevin Baconhas teased his return as Valentine McKee in an upcoming TV reboot ofTremorswhich would continue the storyline from the original 1990 cult classic. That project has remained relatively radio silent since it was first announced, though, and we’re not sure how far along it is in the development process. But it was stated that Bacon will not only star in the show, but also serve as a producer.
Perhaps knowing that someone like Kevin Bacon is interested in playing Freddy Krueger will spark new life in what would essentially be the secondElm Street remake. The actor would certainly bring a lot of attention to the project. And who wouldn’t be interested in seeing if he could pull it off? The man has previous experience playing achild predator. He starred as a struggling pedophile trying to redeem his wicked ways in 2004’sThe Woodsman. Perhaps this is yet another Internet wish that will come true?
