One of the all-time most terrifying horror villains is Freddy Krueger. Terrorizing the minds of his victims and fans alike, Robert Englund‘s iconic killer is lauded as one of the greats in the genre. But the actor has an idea that would have made Freddy Krueger even more perfect–and terrifying–and we’re already having nightmares just imagining it.
He revealed it at the 2018 Summer Television Critics Association press tour on a panel for Eli Roth’s History of Horror AMC docu-series which will premiere later this year, and brings together the masters of horror to explore its biggest themes and how horror has evolved through the eras and had an impact on society. Englund says that over the years he came up with a different perspective for the burnt serial killer than Wes Craven’s original idea.
“If I had an Eli Roth budget I would have cast different actors to play Freddy for every potential victim,” Englund told the room full of journalists. “Because Freddy is only alive in the imagination of his future victim. They would talk about it at a slumber party or in a locker room at school, or on the bus going home. All we know about this Fred Krueger is he wears a hat, wears a red and green striped sweater and has a clawed hand. That’s the specifics.”
Because no other solid details are given, Englund theorized that his iconic look isn’t the true Freddy Krueger because it’s only one version. “So it could be a red and green cardigan for one Freddy,” he said. “It could be an old tattered baseball cap for another Freddy. Freddy could be tall, he could be short, he could be overweight, he could be muscular. Every one of the victims could have a different Freddy they imagined. And you could haunt them with that Freddy.”
But as all Nightmare on Elm Street fans know, Freddy Krueger doesn’t just exist in the dream world and the imaginations of his victims. He used to be human, and at times, he gets pulled into the real world. Englund has an idea for that too: “And then at the end, it would be the ultimate victim and we see Freddy peel [his face] open and maybe it’s yours truly revealed,” he said with a little laugh. “And it’s the essence of Freddy.” As if Freddy Krueger weren’t absolutely horrifying already, can you just imagine the serial killer reimagined as many different versions? In fact, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea for a remake. And Englund even agreed that Freddy Krueger isn’t just mean to be a classic. “I don’t think Freddy is an ’80s villain,” he said. “There’s a huge nostalgia for the eighties for a variety of reasons, but so many horror films and characters transcend that decade.”
Would you be down to see Freddy Krueger reimagined as a modern horror villain portrayed by many different actors? That would only really work if they got Englund to reprise his iconic character as the ultimate human version of Freddy, though. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Image: New Line Cinema
