Nancy Thompson may spend the majority of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies running away from Freddy Krueger, but Heather Langenkamp, who portrays her, isn’t straying away from Robert Englund. In fact, she managed to praise one of Englund’s best performances in the slasher films with the best speech she could have given him at his Walk of Fame ceremony.

While Robert Englund started in theatre productions and then in supporting film roles, taking a chance to play an antagonist in A Nightmare on Elm Street ended up making him one of the best ‘80s movie villains out there. As Heather Langenkamp’s own career launched alongside his by playing classic “final girl” Nancy Thompson, it’s only natural that she’d be the one to send her praises to the veteran actor at his Walk of Fame ceremony. Here’s the beginning of her heartwarming speech, where she gives her own unique interpretation of the Walk of Fame golden star, thanks to Englund:

Ah, the legendary glove! After this speech, my image of the golden star will forever be tarnished by Freddy Krueger’s metallic fingers. But you can’t deny that Freddy’s glove is a prop as legendary as the actor. I wouldn’t want to be slashed by those claws of his! We have to credit the horror movie icon for telling the creative team that Freddy should wear a fedora rather than a paperboy hat.

Robert Englund was clearly dedicated to his then-new role of Freddy Krueger, as Heather Langenkamp spoke of how he would rehearse his terrifying character until the cameras were on. Even though Freddy Krueger was a villain you loved to hate, The Midnight Club actress treated Englund like a hero at the ceremony for shaping the horror genre and his flawless portrayal of an evil being:

What an incredibly beautiful speech! It’s incredibly ironic that an actor who portrayed evil so perfectly would get a hero’s welcome in real life that day. But yes, Langenkamp was right in Freddy Krueger being “the most evil character you could think of.”

Not only did Freddy Krueger know how to deliver gruesome kills in the horror franchise, he also targeted his victims in their most vulnerable headspace—their dreams. As a person can’t stop themselves from dreaming, Robert Englund’s performance of Freddy Krueger’s playfulness and psychological torment are what make the Elm Street movies some of the best horror flicks of all time.

Leave it to Scream Queen Heather Langenkamp to melt our hearts as she praised Robert Englund with an honor that's rightfully his. After she gave her Walk of Fame speech, you can tell the American actor was touched as he hilariously referred to the two of them as “beauty and the beast.” While the Englund and Langenkamp have moved on from the Wes Craven franchise, it’s still nice to know the two are still “attached at the hip since 1984,” as Englund said.

The Poohniverse of horror movies just found its conscience, and he looks like your next nightmare. A Nightmare on Elm Street legend Robert Englund is voicing the Cricket in the upcoming horror movie, Pinocchio: Unstrung, and the first-look design is pure menace. It’s definitely a horror movie take on Jiminy, but I’m honestly bugging out over how Freddy-esque the design looks. I seriously can’t stop staring, because I suspect this could be yet another scene-stealing baddy from the legend who brought us Freddy Krueger.

The reveal came via Twisted Childhood Universe’s official X account, which dropped two images, which you can view below, of the creature: a tight, snarling close-up and a full-body shot with those shredded wings and spidery antennae.

If you’ve been tracking this twisted fairy-tale trend, Pinocchio: Unstrung is the next entry in the same universe that spawned Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel (a.k.a. the “Poohniverse”). The franchise has been expanding fast with slashery spins on childhood icons, like 2024’s Bambi: The Reckoning, and Unstrung is positioned to keep the run going. Englund’s casting as the Cricket—traditionally the charming moral compass—signals a sharper, darker take than anything the blue fairy would sign off on.

What jumps out in these images is how aggressively “anti-cute” this design goes. The face is more bark than bug, split by deep, wood-grain cracks that read like age and rot. The fingers taper into hooked talons—closer to a glove full of knives than a sidekick fit for streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Even the posture has that stalking, stage-to-screen predator energy Englund made iconic.

Turning Jiminy—arguably the safest character in the whole fairy-tale canon—into a leathery, winged nightmare is the exact kind of button this universe loves to push. Whether the character is a mentor or tempter, think “devil on the shoulder,” giving Englund the mic practically guarantees a voice that can swing from coaxing to cruel on a dime, and I’m so here for it.

So what are fans saying? Here are a few quick takeaways from comments posted in response to the reveal:

• @HarryBoyXD — "It’s like he was destined to be voiced by Robert Englund. I can’t wait to hear his voice!"
• @percy_pott62144 — “This is the only movie in that franchise with a decent concept. And everything so far has make me interested."
• @slimm_tyler — "That is so sinister that its cool!"
• @cbrandt701 — "Oh f**k thats creepy 😳"
• @PoissonSumac — "I don't think this conscience is qualified for his job."
• @michael9432820 — "I’m so hype for this movie can’t hear what he says like"

Clearly, a lot of horror fans are feeling this one. If you’re rolling your eyes at another public-domain remix, fair. But the early imagery has me feeling like Unstrung isn’t playing safe or cute, but is going for a full-body shudder, which is precisely the lane this franchise has carved for itself. Variety’s earlier reporting laid out just how far the Twisted Childhood Universe plans to push these properties, and this first look backs that up.

Robert Englund as a nightmare Jiminy Cricket is pitch-perfect casting, and the design sells it hard. If the movie matches the mood of these shots, Pinocchio: Unstrung could be the Poohniverse entry that finally gets me to get excited for yet another connected universe of films. Still, only time will tell if the scary Cricket has the same sort of wicked charm we got for so many years from Mr. Krueger and what made him most successful of the '80s slashers.

Pinocchio: Unstrung has no official release date yet, but it's expected to land sometime on the 2026 movie schedule. Stay tuned to Cinemablend for updates.

Modern horror wouldn’t be what it is today without Wes Craven. He has made some of the best slasher horror movies of all time, and that helped push the boundaries of the genre. Little did I know, the director from Cleveland, Ohio, created quite a network of stars across these iconic films. For example, Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund used to babysit Drew Barrymore, who would go on to play Scream’s doomed Casey Becker, and the story the A Nightmare on Elm Street actor told us about this is incredible.

Two of the stars of the 1984 classic, Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund, appeared on CinemaBlend’s podcast, ReelBlend, to talk about everything Craven-related -- from how he was as a director, theories, sequels, and even other Craven hits, like Scream. During the conversation, Englund recounted witnessing a meeting between Craven and Barrymore while out to dinner.

The Urban Legend alum didn’t know it then, but he seemingly was part of the Scream franchises' beginnings as he went up to say high to the director and the actress he used to babysit:

So, do we have Englund to thank for one of the best first kills in a horror movie? It's not confirmed, but it seems like he might have played a small role in getting Barrymore cast in Scream.

Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, which brought a lot of excitement, dread and pretty gruesome murders to our screens, has remained a staple in the genre for decades. Then Scream did the same thing, as it added a new meta and funny level to the world of horror. So, the fact that two of the franchises' stars are so connected through something like babysitting is pretty mind-blowing.

Plus, this story is made even better by the fact that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the first movie in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Over the years, there have been a lot of sequels, off-kilter Nightmare on Elm Street remakes, and even some Freddy Kruger wardrobe secrets revealed that could have changed everything, as shared by the Freddy vs Jason star himself. So it's fun to throw it back to the days when these movies were made and learn more about how Craven's iconic projects are connected.

People have continually celebrated Wes Craven’s work and shared favorite scenes, trivia, and a whole lot more about his movies over the years. Even Barrymore has shared some behind-the-scenes footage from Scream. Now that I've learned about her connection to Nightmare on Elm Street's star, we might need to thank Robert Englund for her involvement.

It’s hard to believe it has been 40 years since Freddy Krueger first started appearing in the nightmares of innocent teenagers, punishing them for the sins of their parents. But ever since Robert Englund teamed with Wes Craven to create that horror movie icon, Freddy has contributed some of the greatest on-screen kills and an equal number of groan-worthy puns, making him one of the most unforgettable members of the Hollywood monster club. Everyone from Mike Flanagan to Jason Blum have flirted with the idea of reawakening the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but no one has figured out how to breathe life back into the series. Which is why we just keep celebrating the two legends who got it off the ground in the first place: Englund and his magnificent final girl, Heather Langemkamp.

Speaking with the duo on behalf of the the digital and 4K release of Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast turned its attention to the many sequels… specifically focusing on the fact that Langenkamp didn’t return for 1985’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge. That sequel, directed by Jack Sholder, focused on a new lead character (played by Mark Patton) who happened to move into the cursed house on Elm Street. And as Langenkamp told ReelBlend, that became the plan for how Elm Street movies were going to operate moving forward. Hence, why she didn’t return. She said to ReelBlend:

That could have been the formula for countless A Nightmare on Elm Street sequels. Similarly, almost every time that the Friday the 13th series resurrected Jason and his hockey mask, he would stalk a fresh crop ppf camp counselors. Why would Elm Street need continuity?

Because Elm Street was different. There was something special between Freddy and Nancy, Heather Langenkamp’s character. It was akin to Laurie Stroud (Jamie Lee Curtis) and The Shape in the Halloween series. People wanted to see them lock horns. Or, knives. So when Wes Craven got the opportunity to return to the series that he created for A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors – easily one of the best in the series – he wisely developed a part for Heather Langenkamp. As the actress recalls:

It was absolutely the right call. And when you go back and listen to the full conversation between ReelBlend, Robert Englund, and Heather Langenkamp, you will hear even more details about how the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street promoted the studio, New Line, to hurry along a sequel, then develop A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, which is a superior story. It’s a fascinating trip down memory lane for this horror franchise power couple. Watch the full interview now:

We might not see another A Nightmare on Elm Street movie anytime soon, but you can track the list of upcoming horror movies, just in case you need a chilling night out at the theaters.

When it comes to iconic villains from the best horror movies, few stand out as vividly as the scene-stealing baddy Freddy Krueger. The razor-fingered dream demon of A Nightmare on Elm Street has left an indelible mark on both the genre and pop culture since his gruesome debut in 1984. Part of what makes Freddy so memorable is his distinctive look: burnt flesh, red and green striped sweater and dark fedora. Yet, according to Robert Englund, who famously played the antagonist, that fedora almost didn’t make the final cut, and I'm glad it stuck.

Robert Englund revealed this surprising behind-the-scenes tidbit from production on Elm Street while speaking to People. As the veteran actor explained, the creative team became "panicky" about that infamous fedora. A key piece of Freddy’s unsettling silhouette, the headwear was nearly swapped out for something much more unexpected. As the V TV series alum recalls:

It’s almost impossible to picture Freddy Krueger without his iconic fedora. Let’s face it: when it comes to terrifying villains, a newsboy cap probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Over the years, Freddy’s hat has become just as synonymous with his character as his infamous glove of knives, instantly signaling that a nightmare is about to unfold. Yet, as the 77-year-old actor behind the wise-cracking demon recently shared, there was some hesitation about the hat during production. Robert Englund continued:

Fortunately, for horror fans, the Urban Legend alum stood his ground on the fedora, and the rest became horror history. While both Freddy Krueger and Indiana Jones may wear fedoras, that's where the comparisons end. The Freddy's Nightmares actor clearly knew what worked best for the character, and it's hard to imagine A Nightmare on Elm Street becoming one of the most successful of the '80s slashers if everything hadn’t been as spot-on as it was. With Wes Craven’s direction and the man behind the loveable killer portrayal, the film achieved iconic status, largely thanks to those perfectly crafted details.

Nearly four decades later, many still make note of the fedora sported by “The Springwood Slasher." From fan conventions to Halloween costumes, Freddy’s hat has become a symbol of terror and a reminder of all of his most gruesome kills. We can all be thankful that Robert Englund stood his ground and saved the slasher from a fate worse than being trapped in the dream world: wearing a paperboy hat.

The original A Nightmare on Elm Street is now available for horror hounds to stream with a Max subscription.

When it comes to the pantheon great horror movies and their iconic antagonists,  the claw-wielding dream demon from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series, Freddy Krueger, stands out for his unique blend of terror and twisted humor. While Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees remain stoic and silent as they dispatch their victims, Freddy is known for his quips and darkly comedic antics — and a penchant for calling people "bitch" — brought to life by stellar performances from Robert Englund. However, according to a recent exclusive interview with the actor behind one of the most iconic horror movie villains, the franchise creator Wes Craven wasn't always on board with the child killer’s increasingly humorous persona.

In a conversation with Looper, Englund delved into the evolution of Freddy's character over the years, revealing some surprising insights. He noted that Craven, who passed away in 2015, initially envisioned a far subtler sense of humor for Freddy, and wasn't prepared for the more cartoonish turns the character would take in later sequels. Englund said:

This revelation sheds light on the delicate balance between horror and humor in the early movies of the franchise. The tongue-through-the-phone gag is an undeniable treat, and is a sign of the kind of super-dark amusement Wes had in mind for Freddy. It wasn't until 1988's A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, directed by Renny Harlin, that the franchise fully embraced its humorous side while maintaining the scares. (The roach motel scene: nuff said.) Harlin's vision for Krueger was audacious, aiming to transform him into the James Bond of horror, a move that made both Wes Craven and Bob Shaye, the founder of New Line Cinema, quite apprehensive.

Harlin explained in an interview with Slash Film that Freddy needed to be larger than life, a charismatic anti-hero despite his villainous nature. The filmmaker had this to say: 

Surprisingly, despite initial concerns about injecting humor into Freddy's character, The Dream Master was a hit with fans. It debuted at number one during its opening weekend, amassing $12,883,403 in earnings. Holding its top spot the following weekend, according to Box-Office Mojo, the film eventually grossed $49,369,899 at the U.S. box office, securing the 19th spot among 1988's highest-grossing films. It reigned as the highest-grossing Nightmare on Elm Street film until one of the best movie crossovers, Freddy vs. Jason, was released in 2003. Thanks to this success, Freddy Krueger remained solidified as one of the most flamboyant and unforgettable slashers in cinematic history, even if it didn't sit well with the entirety of the horror fandom.

This triumph not only reinforced Freddy's darkly comedic persona as integral to his lasting appeal but, for better or worse, paved the way for even zanier antics in subsequent films such as Freddy's Dead, approaching a level of cartoony camp that would make Bugs Bunny blush. 

The fusion of horror and humor in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series struck a chord with audiences, making it one of the most successful of the 80s slashers. Freddy's unique blend of dark comedy was as vital to his enduring legacy as was his most gruesome kills. While Wes Craven's initial reservations eventually gave way to reluctant acceptance, Freddy's humorous edge undeniably contributed to the franchise's enduring popularity, solidifying its status as a fan-favorite for generations of horror hounds.

The future of the franchise is currently up in the air. There are ongoing discussions about the possibility of another remake or reboot, similar to the highly anticipated Friday the 13th television revival, which will be available for streaming with a Peacock subscription. Additionally, there have been talks about a new direction, reminiscent of the 2018 Halloween and the upcoming Exorcists sequels. Personally, I believe it's high time for Freddy Krueger to have a shot at a comedic comeback, even if Englund has claimed he's hung up his hat for good. 

Make sure to check out Cinemablend’s schedule of upcoming horror movies to see what scares are hitting the 2023 movie release schedule. 

In the history of Hollywood there are certain actors who become so attached to roles they played that it becomes essentially impossible to think of the actor and the character as separate people or to think of anybody else playing the role. Will Smith as Neo in The Matrix just doesn’t seem right considering that came awfully close to happening. Mark Hamill will always be Luke Skywalker first and foremost, and he has Freddy Krueger to thank for it.

Robert Englund recently answered questions from fans in The Guardian and he was asked about the often reported story that he had auditioned to play Han Solo in Star Wars. Englund explains that he had actually been there to audition for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, but that Star Wars was holding auditions at the same time in the same building. As a fan of American Graffiti, Englund took the chance to audition for George Lucas, but it was clear very quickly that he wouldn’t be in Star Wars. However, Englund then made a very fateful decision that would change Hollywood forever. He explained…

It certainly sounds from this description that Mark Hamill wasn’t aware of Star Wars and would not have auditioned had Robert Englund not let him know about it. And while Hamill certainly auditioned for the role and got it on his own, who knows, maybe Englund grabbing those asides gave Mark Hamill the ability to prepare for the audition in a way that gave him an edge.

Within Star Wars alone there are numerous stories of casting decisions that might have happened. Joseph Fiennes as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the prequels, Christopher Walken or Tom Selleck as Han Solo. Perhaps these choices could have become as iconic as the ones we got, or maybe Star Wars would never have become the phenomenon that it did with a different cast. 45 years later, while Mark Hamill has had a successful career doing things other than Star Wars, he’ll always be Luke Skywalker first.  

With new Star Wars TV series happening on a regular basis, and maybe a new Star Wars movie coming someday, there will continue to be chances for new stars to create iconic characters. Those actors will be lucky if they have a friend as good as Robert Englund.

The following story will contain spoilers for Stranger Things Season 4… at least, the first half of it. The second half of the season is on its way, and we think that this character is going to play a more significant role. 

By now, you know that Nightmare on Elm Street legend Robert Englund played a part in the ongoing narrative of Stranger Things, appearing as Victor Creel in the present day… who ended up being the father of Henry Creel, the man who’d go on to become Vecna. We don’t know if Englund will return for the remainder of the season, but the fact that he is the creator of the season’s Big Bad, we assume the actor won’t be limited to one scene, and one scene only. That sequence, naturally, is an homage to Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs, with Victor Creel (Englund) being detained in a cell reminiscent of the one that held Hannibal Lecter. So when Englund stopped by CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast as a guest, he talked about Anthony Hopkins’ classic character, and the influence he has had on the horror genre, saying:

As for the “little bit” of Nightmare on Elm Street, it’s impossible not to get time with Freddy Krueger himself and not play around with the crossover potentials. Granted, Robert Englund hasn’t played his razor-wielding psycho since a 2018 episode of ABC’s The Goldbergs. But when asked how it might go down with Freddy trying to infiltrate the dreams of Hannibal Lecter, the actor relished the thought, telling ReelBlend:

Now I need to see that, more than I need to see anything. Sadly, this likely will not be included in the last two episodes of Stranger Things season 4, which will begin to stream on Netflix on July 1. We still have major questions we need answered from the first half of season 4. We also refreshed everything we know about season 4 up to this point, in case you don’t have time to rebinge (because those episodes are long!) Now, stay away, Dr. Lecter. Freddy’s coming for you.

The following is going to touch on spoilers for Stranger Things, so please stop reading now if you haven’t watched the episodes in Part One. 

Without actually stating it, season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things has been borrowing inspiration from the classic horror franchise A Nightmare on Elm Street. The main villain, Vecna, “hypnotizes” his victims and makes them feel as if they are trapped in a nightmare before finally mauling them, physically, in sequences that traumatize with disturbing audio effects. And while the Stranger Things team admits that Vecna’s appearance was influenced by a vintage Game of Thrones character, they also very much tipped their hand at the Nightmare on Elm Street love when they cast Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, for a crucial role… and he thinks there’s a good chance that he will be back once part two of season 4 arrives. 

Robert Englund appeared in one episode of Stranger Things season 4 so far, playing Victor Creel in a set up that was also a blatant homage to Anthony Hopkins’ imprisonment in The Silence of the Lambs. But by the end of the first part of this season, when we learned that Vecna is really Victor’s troubled son Henry Creel, we assumed that Victor could return. So when Englund stopped by CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, we asked him if he planned to return to Stranger Things, and he told us:

Just speculating here, but Robert Englund appears correct when he says that Vecna has unfinished business with his father, Victor, and the return of Englund for a few more scenes makes sense, narratively. Also, why cast a horror legend like Robert Englund if you don’t plan to use him for more than one scene inside of a prison cell? Yes, the prosthetics team has praised Englund’s contributions to the season. But Englund thinks there’s even a literary reason why Victor needs to resurface… giving us real hope. As he tells ReelBlend:

We won’t have to wait very long to find out, as part two of Stranger Things season 4 lands on Netflix on July 1. We singled out a number of things that we want to see in the season’s conclusion, and even laid out the questions we still had after part one played out. Some of them had to do with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), and the “war” that is coming between Vecna and the Hawkins kids. Let’s hope Victor gets his day in the sun. 

There are some names that, just by hearing them spoken aloud, are enough to send a chill down your spine. One might assume that I am referring to a horror movie villain such as Freddy Krueger, but I am actually referring to the actor who plays him in 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street cast: Robert Englund. The undisputed horror icon and new Stranger Things cast member has, himself, become synonymous with the genre for a spooky (and very lengthy) filmography that rivals countless other actors in the same league.

Now, admittedly, there are a good number of classic horror movies on the following list of some of our favorite performances by Robert Englund, but it also includes a few considerably lighter roles worth mentioning. However, the actor’s most terrifying and most famous character is where we shall start, if you dare…

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare On Elm Street)

Getting a good night’s sleep is not easy (if you even want to bother trying) after watching Wes Craven’s terrifying ‘80s slasher, A Nightmare on Elm Street, due to Robert Englund’s relentlessly creepy performance as Freddy Krueger. The badly burned boogeyman with the ability stalk and slay teens like Nancy Thompson (Scream Queen Heather Langenkamp) in their dreams with his razor-clawed glove would grow campier and punnier as the Nightmare movies (one of the most popular and craziest horror franchises) went on, leading to some undisputedly inventive kills. 

However, many still prefer Englund’s more earnest and cold-hearted original portrayal - which he would, sort of, revive when playing a demon taking the character’s form in the meta 1994 sequel New Nightmare, in which he also plays himself.

Willie (V)

Before scaring his way into people’s nightmares, Robert Englund charmed his way into people’s hearts on the otherwise chilling sci-fi miniseries, V, as Willie - who is, just about, the actor’s most iconic role other than Freddy Krueger. He is one of the few members of a reptilian alien race known as the The Vistors who actually sides with the humans and joins their rebellion once his kind’s true, nefarious intentions for Earth for Earth are revealed. 

Englund’s endearing character became a mainstay of the 1984 limited series sequel, V: The Final Battle, and the short-lived V: The Series, allowing audiences to see a side of that the actor they didn’t need to watch through their fingers.

Franklin (Stay Hungry)

Before playing otherworldly creatures of a friendly or malevolent variety, one of Robert Englund earliest and biggest film roles was as a human named Franklin in 1976’s Stay Hungry. Donning a Southern accent in this dramedy set in the world bodybuilding, he steals a few scenes and many laughs from his co-stars: future Oscar winners Jeff Bridges and Sally Field, as well with a young Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Golden Globe-winning performance as Joe. 

Franklin works for Joe as his grease man, who “oils him up” before exhibitions at the Mr. Universe competition, which the Austrian actor had actually won a number of times by then.

Erik Destler/The Phantom (The Phantom Of The Opera)

While originating one of horror’s most famous characters is a magnificent achievement, it is just as humbling to join a long line of actors who have portrayed a role of equal or greater iconography, and Robert Englund can claim both honors. 

In 1989, he dazzled in the title role of one of the truly scariest and (and goriest) cinematic adaptations of Gaston Leroux’s seminal novel, The Phantom of the Opera, let alone one of the more underrated. The film’s obscurity could be due to The Phantom’s scarred face resembling Freddy Krueger’s burned flesh, which very likely could have been by design. 

Professor William Wexler (Urban Legend)

Another role that Robert Englund’s prestige in the horror genre likely helped him secure was in Urban Legend - a favorite of the post-Scream slasher trend of the ‘90s. He plays a college professor whose students (including Dawson’s Creek cast member Joshua Jackson and future Oscar winner Jared Leto) begin to suspect that his lessons in contemporary folklore could be based in fact, following a series of recent murders. 

Englund plays William Wexler with such a perfect balance of grounded humanity and his signature creepiness in his few scenes that it's a shame the character did not survive long enough to show up in any of the sequels, which may have actually secured a theatrical release with his participation.

Doc Halloran (Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon) 

A more recent film that has since become a cult-favorite horror-comedy movie is 2006’s Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon - a refreshingly clever mockumentary style send-up of slasher movie tropes. Part of its popularity can be credited Robert Englund chewing the scenery as, instead of a villain, a psychiatrist hunting the titular aspiring killer (Nathan Baesel), a la Donald Pleasance’s Dr. Sam Loomis in Halloween. 

Actually, speaking of, Michael Myers is one of a few famous villains who exist in the world of the film, including Freddy Krueger, which makes the casting of Englund - who also worked behind-the-scenes on the original Halloween - even more deliciously meta.

The Riddler (The Batman)

One of Robert Englund’s more criminally underrated performance as a villain is also one of his more unfairly overlooked voice acting performances. In fact, before Paul Dano’s sadistic take on the role emerged in 2022’s The Batman, I would have easily considered Englund’s Riddler from the hit animated series (coincidentally also called) The Batman to be the scariest depiction of the DC villain we have ever seen. Picture rock star Marilyn Manson if a wrongful betrayal turned him into Jigsaw from the Saw movies and you have this unique version of Edward Nygma, essentially. 

Victor Creel (Stranger Things)

A character that many were quick to assume would be the villain of Stranger Things Season 4 after Robert Englund’s casting is Victor Creel. However, without giving too much away, we learn that this elderly asylum patient with missing eyes he gouged out himself was tragically framed for the true villain’s first crime: the murder of his wife and children. Despite only appearing in one episode (that we have seen so far of the two-volume season, at least), Englund makes a lasting impression with a memorably haunting and devastatingly sympathetic performance that is easily one of the best of his decades-long career.

While it is likely that we have seen the last of Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, we have certainly not seen the last of his days as a horror icon, having recently appeared as himself in Netflix’s Choose or Die, and lent his voice to an upcoming animated triller called Abuptio. Perhaps we will see if we have really seen the last of Victor Creel, too, when Vol. 2 of Stranger Things Season 4 premieres on Friday, July 1.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Vol. 1 of Stranger Things Season 4 on Netflix.

The long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things has finally arrived on Netflix, with a new set of challenges for the characters spread all over the world and a terrifying new villain. In true Stranger Things style, however, Vecna wasn’t the only element of the season that could send chills down the spine, thanks to none other than horror icon Robert Englund of the Nightmare on Elm Street series playing the cursed Victor Creel. Prosthetics makeup artist Barrie Gower spoke with CinemaBlend about his experience on Stranger Things Season 4, including why working with Englund was “incredible.”

The Netflix show often includes elements from iconic films from the 1980s, and Vecna’s ability to reach into the minds of his victims to torment and eventually kill them delivered a level of horror worthy of Freddy Krueger. Add in Robert Englund playing Victor Creel – the man who gouged out his own eyes after being psychically tormented and then wrongfully imprisoned for murdering his family – and horror fans had a lot to enjoy. According to prosthetics makeup artist Barrie Gower, working with Englund to perfect the look of the gouged-out eyes was a great experience for the makeup team… and a surprise. Gower shared:

What better surprise for a longtime Nightmare on Elm Street fan than to learn that working on Netflix’s biggest horror series would involve Robert Englund himself? Victor Creel may not have looked exactly like Freddy Krueger, but the actor definitely delivered some creepy moments combined with the prosthetics that completely sold what the character had done to himself. Creel didn’t require the full-body prosthetics that Vecna did (and you can read all about the big Vecna reveals here), and it’s safe to say that fans won’t be forgetting his face any time soon. Barrie Gower continued:

According to the artist, hours in the makeup chair are “incredible” when involving Robert Englund sharing stories about his career. Few actors can come into a project with as much horror background as Englund brings thanks to Nightmare on Elm Street, and it’s only fitting that he was able to deliver an unforgettable performance while wearing two hours-worth of prosthetics for a chilling finished product in Season 4. When I noted that Englund must be an expert at prosthetics application in the makeup chair by this point, Gower enthusiastically shared:

After playing Freddy Krueger no fewer than five times in the 1980s alone – and no shortage of times in the years since – there can be no doubt that Robert Englund had plenty of Nightmare on Elm Street stories to tell. Even though Victor Creel wasn’t the character with Freddy-esque methods of killing in Stranger Things, he was a perfect addition to the cast. 

You can find Robert Englund’s performance as Victor Creel with the makeup prosthetics from Barrie Gower and his team in the record-breaking Volume 1 of Stranger Things Season 4, available streaming with a Netflix subscription now. For the Nightmare on Elm Street series, you can find several of the films both on Netflix and with an HBO Max subscription. 

You can never tell what the outcome will be when a hit series adds new members to its ensemble, but in the case of Stranger Things cast, it has been a real treat so far, such as when Sadie Sink and Dacre Montgomery joined the gang in Season 2 or when Maya Hawke came aboard the following season. It appears that the ‘80s-tastic Netflix original sci-fi adventure is bringing in A LOT of new characters for the latest installment, including one played by the iconic star of one of the most ‘80s-tastic horror movies. While wait to learn even more about Stranger Things season 5, let’s take a look where you might also know the rest of the new cast members from Stranger Things Season 4, starting with one actor who is already no stranger to coming-of-age fantasy stories.

Jamie Campbell Bower (Peter Ballard)

Playing psychiatric hospital worker Peter on Stranger Things is Jamie Campbell Bower, who made his feature film debut in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street before joining the Twilight movies cast as Caius, the Harry Potter movies as a young Gellert Grindelwald, and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones as Jace. In addition to YA novel adaptations, the English actor played King Arthur on Starz’s Camelot, starred in two titles inspired by the life of William Shakespeare (2011’s Anonymous and the TNT series Will), and has voiced Skiff on Thomas & Friends since 2016.

Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson)

Also known for starring in literary adaptations and period costume dramas (namely Dickensian, Game of Thrones on HBO, or 2019’s Les Misérables miniseries, most notably) is Joseph Quinn, who stars as Dungeons & Dragons player and Hellfire Club leader Eddie Munson on Stranger Things Season 4. He also had with a memorable role in 2018’s War World II action flick/zombie movie hybrid Overlord, was in one of the five films from Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series in 2020, and also appeared on a J.K. Rowling adaptation: the Cinemax original espionage drama C.B. Strike. 

Eduardo Franco (Argyle)

As Surfer Boy Pizza deliverer Argyle, we have Eduardo Franco, who is also no stranger to coming-of-age stories like Netflix’s American Vandal and The Package, Olivia Munn’s party movie masterpiece Booksmart, and The Binge on Hulu. He also had a recurring role on Adam Ruins Everything, appeared in the HBO Max original rom-com Superintelligence, and voices D.J. Catnip on Netflix’s partially animated series Gabby’s Dollhouse. 

Sherman Augustus (Lt. Colonel Sullivan)

As Sullivan - a lieutenant colonel seeking to finally end the supernatural phenomena in Hawkins - we have Sherman Augustus, who has encountered supernatural phenomena onscreen plenty of times before, such as in 1995’s Digital Man and Rumpelstiltskin, Virus (also starring supreme Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis) from 1999, and HBO’s Westworld, to name a few. He also made his debut in the 1988 cop drama Colors, played a cop on The Young and the Restless, and starred on AMC’s now cancelled Into the Badlands as former bounty hunter Nathaniel Moon.

Mason Dye (Jason Carver)

As rich, preppy athlete Jason Carver - the kind of guy Joe Keery’s Steve almost was before his character reinvention - we have Mason Dye, who actually debuted on a coming-of-age TV show (Secret Life of an American Cheerleader) and later starred in supernatural coming-of-age titles like MTV’s Teen Wolf series and 2017’s Truth or Dare (not to be confused with the Blumhouse movie). He also played Christopher in Lifetime’s 2014 Flowers in the Attic adaptation, portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the YouTube comedy Roommates, and had recurring role on Amazon Prime’s Bosch.

Nikola Djuricko (Yuri)

Playing Russian smuggler Yuri is Nikola Djuricko, who starred in several movies and TV shows produced in his home country of Serbia since the ‘80s before making his English-language debut in 2012’s World War Z in 2013. U.S. audiences may also recognize him from the Sundance TV miniseries The Last Panthers or as Hungarian-American Physicist Leo Szilard, opposite Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein, on Season 1 of National Geographic’s Genius.  

Tom Wlaschiha (Dmitri)

Playing Russian prison guard Dmitri is Tom Wlaschiha, who starred in several titles produced in his home country of Germany since the ‘90s before appearing in 2001’s Enemy at the Gates - the first of many notable period dramas (like 2005’s Munich or 2013’s Rush) and war movies (like Valkyrie from 2008) he has appeared in. Some of his better known roles so far have been on the small screen - such as Jagen H’ghar on the Game of Thones cast, Max Schenkel on Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Hagen Forster on a recent series adaptation of Das Boot.

Myles Truitt (Patrick)

As teen basketball player Patrick, we have Myles Truitt, who last played a teen who experiences some bizarre circumstances in the 2018 sci-fi drama Kin after making his debut as a young Ronnie DeVoe in BET’s The New Edition Story and making a guest appearance on Atlanta Season 2 for a flashback episode. Following his role in S. Craig Zahler’s Dragged Across Concrete, he landed recurring roles on OWN’s Queen Sugar and the Arrowverse’s Black Lightning and a starring role on Starz’s true crime drama BMF.

Regina Ting Chen (Ms. Kelly)

Myles Truitt’s Black Lightning co-star Regina Ting Chen stars as Hawkins High guidance counselor Ms. Kelly. This TV role follows other impressive credits like HBO’s Watchmen, Hulu’s Woke, and a spot among The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, in which she might have appeared as the same reporter she would play in Spider-Man: No Way Home. She also played a reporter in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, a welder in Disney+’s live-action Lady and the Tramp remake, and an army doctor opposite Chris Pine in the action thriller The Contractor.    

Grace Van Dien (Chrissy)

Playing a cheerleader, Chrissy, we have Eduardo Franco’s The Binge co-star Grace Van Dien, who has starred in several titles opposite her own dad, Casper Van Dien, (and often as father and daughter) including two holiday TV movies (The Dog Who Saved Christmas and Christmas Twister), 2014’s Sleeping Beauty, and another tornado movie called Fire Twister, to name just a few. She also played Sharon Tate opposite Matt Smith’s Charles Manson in 2018’s Charlie Says, had major roles on the Netflix series Greenhouse Academy and NBC’s The Village, and starred in and directed her own 2020 short, Monsters and Muses.

Logan Riley Bruner (Fred Benson)

Young aspiring journalist Fred Benson is played by Logan Riley Bruner, known best for recurring roles on the Orange is the New Black cast and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for Netflix, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel for Amazon Prime, and as the star, scribe, and director of the comedic web series Tucci and Jones. The writer and actor made his feature-length debut in 2012 in a film loosely inspired by the “Solomon Grundy” nursery rhyme and, in 2018, appeared in Netflix’s LGBTQ teen romance Alex Strangelove and opposite Natalie Portman in the music drama Vox Lux.

Logan Allen (Jake)

Confrontational teen Jake is played by Logan Allen, whose first taste of the horror genre prior to joining the Stranger Things cast was an episode of the Shudder original anthology series Creepshow in 2019. He appeared in seven episodes of Nickelodeon’s Talia in the Kitchen in 2015, starred in 2018’s Bernie the Dolphin and its sequel the following year, and joined Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias cast in 2020. 

Elodie Grace Orkin (Angela)

Jake’s girlfriend, Angela, is played by Elodie Grace Orkin, who already has experience with coming-of-age mystery thrillers from appearing on the cast of Stage Fright on YouTube’s Brat TV. She also appeared in an episode of the Showtime original crime series We Hunt Together and played Johanna Braddy’s younger self in the 2021 romantic drama Saving Paradise.

Amybeth McNulty (Vickie)

Hawkins High band member Vickie is played Amybeth McNulty, who debuted as a younger version of the title character from the comedic crime procedural Agatha Raisin in 2014 and, two years later, played a younger version of Anya Taylor-Joy’s title role in the sci-fi thriller Morgan. The Irish-Canadian actor also played the title role of the Netflix’s short-lived period drama Anne with an E and her additional feature-length credits include the Black Medicine and All My Puny Sorrows from 2021.

Robert Englund (Victor Creel)

Our last, but certainly not least, new addition to the Stranger Things cast in the fittingly creepy role of Victor Creel is Robert Englund, who became one of horror’s greatest icons for starring on 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street cast (and its many sequels) as burned, razor-clawed boogeyman Freddy Krueger. He is also known for playing a friendly alien named Willie on the original sci-fi miniseries V, lending his voice to animated series like Regular Show as various characters or The Batman as a creepy Riddler, and countless other horror movies, most recently the Netflix original Choose or Die.

Plenty of TV shows aim to “go big or go home.” Well, based on the hefty amount of new blood joining the Stranger Things cast for its fourth season, it appears that the blockbuster Netflix series is going bigger than ever. With the first half of Season 4 steaming as of Friday, May 27, 2022, and next volume dropping on July 1, we cannot wait to where these new characters and our familiar favorites end up in this latest adventure in the Upside Down.

I have a good feeling that The Batman is about to show us a version of the Dark Knight unlike any interpretation that we have seen on the big screen before. That being said, I am sure that director Matt Reeves’ upcoming DC movie (due for a March 2022 release) will also feature fascinating twists on various other characters known to Gotham City, especially The Riddler.

The comic book villain, whose quite fitting real name is Edward Nygma, has enjoyed toying with the Caped Crusader ever since he was first dreamed up by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang in 1948. The puzzling foe has also inspired various interpretations in Batman movies and TV shows, each one more distinct than the last. Before Academy Award nominee Paul Dano’s new take makes his grand debut, let’s take a look at some of the funniest and most frightening onscreen versions of The Riddler so far.

Frank Gorshin (Batman, Batman: The Movie)

The first actor to ever portray The Riddler in a comic book adaptation (live-action or animated) was Frank Gorshin on the Adam West-led 1960s Batman TV show and its feature-length spin-off, which was released in theaters in 1966. The comedian would actually earn an Emmy nomination for his lively and (at times) wonderfully manic performance in the green suit, which would undeniably set an iron-clad precedent for the character that every actor to succeed him would strive to live up to.

Jim Carrey (Batman Forever)

One of the most essential examples of looking to Frank Gorshin for inspiration is Jim Carrey in Batman Forever. Joel Schumacher assumed directorial duties and Val Kilmer assumed the cowl for this film in which a Bruce Wayne-obsessed Edward Nygma teams up with Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) to drain Gotham City citizens' brains with his powerful invention. This goofy sequel has evolved into a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I can honestly say I derive pleasure from watching the Ace Ventura actor chew the scenery in a relentlessly maddening performance that make the film worth revisiting alone.

John Glover (Batman: The Animated Series)

Despite being a cartoon, Batman: The Animated Series is considered less cartoonish than the 1990s live action Batman movies and, fittingly, featured a more reserved and darker version of The Riddler. John Glover (also known for DC adaptations Batman & Robin, Smallville, Shazam!, and Lucifer) invokes a uniquely sinister playfulness when voicing Edward Nygma - a puzzle designer seeking revenge on his former employer in his first appearance on the Emmy-winning series. 

Glover made a strong enough impression on fans to celebrate news that he and Batman voice actor, Kevin Conroy, will both reprise their roles for an upcoming audio drama that serves as a sequel to BTAS.  

Robert Englund (The Batman) 

The underrated, mid-to-late-2000s animated series, The Batman, has a much darker version of The Riddler, with the mere fact that he is voiced by iconic horror movie actor Robert Englund contributing much to that distinction. 

This Edward Nygma (who almost resembles Marilyn Manson in full makeup) is, once again, out to get back at a man who ruined his career, and does so by filling his home with deadly traps. Imagine if the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast member played Jigsaw instead of Freddy Krueger, and then faced off against Batman. That describes this Riddler in a nutshell.

Matthew Gray Gubler (Batman: Assault On Arkham)

Imagine if Criminal Minds cast member Matthew Gray Gubler’s Dr. Spencer Reid had instead become a criminal himself, and that describes this Riddler perfectly for you. He is just about the funniest and most unusually likable character in the 2014 animated movie, Batman: Assault on Arkham, which is really more about the Suicide Squad than it is about Kevin Conroy’s Dark Knight. 

However, the featured Task Force X members have no trouble voicing their personal dislike of the quippy and conceited villain, even after he promises he can help diffuse the bombs Amanda Waller (CCH Pounder) placed in their heads.

Cory Michael Smith (Gotham)

Watching characters slowly fulfill their destinies as Batman villains made Gotham a fun watch for fans, and Riddler’s evolution on the series was certainly no exception. 

Played by Gotham cast member Cory Michael Smith, Edward Nygma’s origin is a fascinating one - having initially worked as a brilliant (but widely disliked) forensic scientist for the GCPD until unforeseen circumstances caused his murderous split personality to emerge and, eventually, take full control. It’s a character arc that more accurately resembles Two-Face, but is still a welcome reinterpretation for the drama that unfolds.

Dave Franco (Young Justice)

Speaking of welcome reinterpretations, Young Justice is an earnest take on the Teen Titans comics that most fans agree is one of the strongest DC TV shows ever conceived. The secret is how the animated series borrows classic hero and villain characteristics, but adds new features that lend brilliantly to the plot, and its Riddler is certainly no exception. 

Voiced by Dave Franco, this Edward Nygma still loves to tease adversaries with clever wordplay, but mostly to make his bombastic acts of terrorism more fun for himself, making this take a bold balancing act between comedy and tragedy.

Jim Rash (Harley Quinn)

Now, if it is comedy that you really want from your Riddler, I highly recommend Harley Quinn on HBO Max, starring Kaley Cuoco as the Clown Princess of Crime. The fact that the hit animated series’ representation of Edward Nygma looks so much like the actor who plays him - Academy Award winner and former Community cast member Jim Rash - is already enough to earn a laugh. However, if you keep watching, I promise it only gets funnier from there when he becomes one of main antagonists of Season 2.

I also got quite a few laughs out of John Leguizamo’s vocal performance as The Riddler on the dramatic podcast Batman: The Audio Adventures, which is also exclusive to HBO Max subscribers. However, laughter is not what I am expecting from Paul Dano’s performance in The Batman. Honestly, as long as he invokes the same calculative, self-righteous traits the character is known for, I could not be more excited for it.

At a time when ‘80s slasher movies began to wear thin on originality, writer and director Wes Craven gave the genre a refreshingly unique and bizarrely grim jump start with A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. The scary supernatural story of a young woman (Heather Langenkamp) and other teenagers targeted by Freddy Krueger (a grotesque, undead serial murderer with the ability to kill his victims from within their dreams, played by Robert Englund) not only launched one of the most iconic (and increasingly cartoonish) horror movie franchises of all time, but also launched the careers of a few celebrated actors - most notably, Johnny Depp in his film debut. 

We will talk about his current whereabouts, as well as the current whereabouts of the rest of the original A Nightmare on Elm Street cast, in the following breakdown - starting with one of cinema’s most menacing boogeymen. 

Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger)

While he was no stranger to horror and relatively well-known as friendly alien Willie on V, Robert Englund became one of the top horror movie actors in history from playing Freddy Krueger in all A Nightmare on Elm Street movies but the 2010 remake. He has even reprised the role outside of the main franchise (the anthology series Freddy’s Nightmares, The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror IX,” 2011’s Mortal Kombat video game, and The Goldbergs Season 6, most recently) in addition to many other characters of a sinister nature. At 74, Englund’s Scream King reign is far from over, having been added to the Stranger Things Season 4 cast and appearing in upcoming horror movies like the puppeteered Abruptio and Harvest Moon.

Heather Langenkamp (Nancy Thompson)

Playing the hero of the first A Nightmare Elm Street (as well as the third installment and 1994’s meta New Nightmare as herself) also earned Heather Langenkamp a one-way ticket to horror royalty - further maintained by director Wes Craven’s Shocker in 1989, an uncredited appearance on American Horror Story, and a voice role on Adult Swim’s J.J. Villard’s Fairy Tale (which Robert Englund has also appeared on). 

Of course, the now 57-year-old’s resume is not drowning in horror, having also starred on ABC sitcom Just the Ten of Us, played Nancy Kerrigan in a 1994 TV movie about the story that inspired 2017’s I, Tonya, and made a makeup-heavy cameo in Star Trek Into Darkness as Moto. The celebrated Scream Queen’s newest “scream” will come in the form of a starring role on The Midnight Club - the latest of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix original miniseries.

Johnny Depp (Glen Lantz) 

If you ask me, A Nightmare on Elm Street’s most memorable kill goes to Glen Lantz, played by Johnny Depp in his first acting gig before 21 Jump Street made him a heartthrob, and 1990’s Edward Scissorhands made him a reoccurring face in most Tim Burton movies and got people to notice his transformative talent. Probably the most famous example of this is his performance as Capt. Jack Sparrow in Disney’s five Pirates of the Caribbean movies (so far) - the first of which earned him his first Academy Award nomination, before Finding Neverland in 2005 and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (in which he played the killer this time). 

When not dealing with the controversies surrounding his personal life, the now 58-year-old continues to appear in film and TV, most recently the 2020 biographical drama, Minimata, and the animated series Puffins.

Ronee Blakley (Margo Thompson)

A fellow Academy Award nominee from the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast (for Robert Altman’s Nashville) is Ronee Blakley, who actually made her horror debut in a 1977 anthology horror movie, Three Dangerous Ladies, before playing Nancy Thompson’s mother, Margo. Her career would slow down just a bit after starring in Wes Craven’s classic, but not without getting in a few more spooky credits - namely an episode of Tales from the Darkside (one of the more underrated anthology horror TV shows), and 1987’s Return to Salem’s Lot - a sequel to the acclaimed Stephen King-inspired miniseries. 

The actress, producer, filmmaker, and musician most recently appeared on the Netflix original music documentary Rolling Thunder Revue - director Martin Scorsese’s semi-fictionalized account of Bob Dylan’s titular, 1975 concert tour.

Amanda Wyss (Tina Gray) 

A close qualifier for second place of A Nightmare on Elm Street’s most memorable kills (in my opinion) goes to Tina Gray, played by Amanda Wyss in a role that mirrors Janet Leigh in Psycho as the first major death, despite being the bigger name at the time after appearing in Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982. After her grisly slashing courtesy of Freddy, she changed things up by appearing in the western, Silverado, with Kevin Costner and the dark John Cusack comedy, Better Off Dead, in 1985, revisited horror with the 1988 vampire story To Die For and its sequel, tried out fantasy with a recurring role on the Highlander TV series, and later reunited with Heather Langenkamp for the the romantic drama Getting the Kinks Out in 2019. 

Horror has essentially become Wyss’ go-to in recent years (i.e. the 2020 werewolf flick Hunter’s Moon), but she also has a drama about country music called Catch a Falling Star currently in the works.

Jsu Garcia (Rod Lane)

Playing Tina’s grieving boyfriend, Rod (who becomes falsely accused of her murder), is Jsu Garcia, who was credited as Nick Corri when he made his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street, before appearing opposite Woody Harrelson and Goldie Hawn in the 1986 sports comedy Wildcats. The actor would work with Wes Craven again on New Nightmare (appearing as himself) and the Eddie Murphy-led entry into horror-comedy movies, Vampire in Brooklyn, before eventually breaking into serious dramas, like the Oscar-winning Traffic or the Vietnam War film We Were Soldiers. 

In addition to acting (with his most recently released credit being a 2017’s This Is Christmas), Garcia is also a committed ordained minister of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness, which may be reflected in his upcoming films Dante’s Hell and Miracle Underground. 

Charles Fleischer (Dr. King) 

In response to Nancy’s “trouble” sleeping, Margo takes her to see Dr. King - played by Charles Fleischer, who might be one of the lesser easily recognizable names from A Nightmare on Elm Street, especially among modern audiences. However, he makes up for it with an extremely impressive career that includes voicing the title role of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (the first of many collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis), playing a creepy murder suspect from 2007’s Zodiac, and appearing as himself in Funny People in 2009. 

Now 71, the comedian’s last acting credit was the 2020 comedy Reality Queen!, which followed a recurring role on Starz’s Blunt Talk, and episodes of Hulu’s horror anthology series Dimension 404, and the 2019 holiday horror movie Hanukkah.

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Lin Shaye (Teacher) 

Even the biggest fans of A Nightmare on Elm Street might not immediately recognize Lin Shaye as Nancy’s unnamed teacher, which was prior to her more memorable roles in the Critters movies and in There’s Something About Mary as Cameron Diaz’s mother. Of course, the younger sister of New Line Cinema founder Robert Shaye would eventually become one of the most familiar faces in modern horror after starring in 2011’s Insidious as the clairvoyant Elise Rainier, whom she is set to reprise in star and director Patrick Wilson’s upcoming fifth installment. 

However, (outside of 2021’s Jackson’s Hole) many of the 78-year-old Scream Queen’s next projects are a diversion from horror, like writer and director Sean Patrick Flanery’s crime drama, Frank and Penelope, and the Covid-19-inspired drama We are Gathered Here Today.

Joseph Whipp (Sgt. Parker) 

The role of Sgt. Parker could be considered a career-defining moment for A Nightmare on Elm Street cast member Joseph Whipp, as he would go on to play several more cops and star in several more horror movies - such as with Wes Craven’s original Scream cast, in which he played Sheriff Burke in 1996. His other claim to fame is soap operas, including 27 episodes as a few different characters on Days of Our Lives and two episodes of The Young and the Restless in 2020 being his most recent acting credits. 

Otherwise, Whipp is notably featured in movies like the Clint Eastwood thriller Escape from Alcatraz from 1978, and 1997’s Suicide Kings, as well as TV shows like Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire and Criminal Minds. 

John Saxon (Lt. Thompson) 

Also known for playing cops in many horror movies (most famously as Nancy’s father, Lt. Ken Fuller, in the original Black Christmas, or FBI Agent Stanley Chase in From Dusk Till Dawn, to name a few) is John Saxon, whose horror iconography also predates A Nightmare on Elm Street with more credits that I can list here altogether (such as Mario Bava’s The Evil Eye in 1963 or an episode of the Rod Serling-hosted Night Gallery). 

Of course, he is also know for action films like 1973’s Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee, western TV shows like Bonanza, comedies like Old Dogs in 2009, or 2017’s The Extra, which would turn out to be his final acting credit. On July 25, 2020, Saxon passed away at the age of 83 due to pneumonia.

Although not all of them are around anymore, the A Nightmare on Elm Street cast is still celebrated today for being one of the best ensembles you could dream of, and key as to why the film is remembered as one of the best horror movies ever made.

Ask any casual moviegoers who they would choose as their favorite horror movie villain and they will likely provide you with an answer without hesitation, but challenge them to name the actor played the character, and you might have them stumped. Die-hard fans of horror movies, however, celebrate horror movie actors such as Bruce Campbell or Jamie Lee Curtis (to name a few) just as passionately as the villains or victims they portray on screen, but who among them is truly the most iconic is a debate more fierce than the titular conflict in Freddy vs. Jason. 

Well, I figured we could make an attempt to settle that argument (or at least give the debaters some food for thought) by ranking my own personal favorite Scream Queens and Scream Kings of all time based on their prevalence in the horror genre, acting ability, and the size and loyalty of their fanbase. I decided to keep the official list (ordered from really good to all-time best) at an appropriate quantity of 13.

13. Adrienne Barbeau 

Adrienne Barbeau’s movie career began with 1980’s The Fog - her second collaboration with then-husband, writer and director John Carpenter - before working with other horror auteurs, like George A. Romero (1982’s Creepshow) and Wes Craven (1982’s Swamp Thing), made her into a cult icon whose instantly recognizable voice can be heard as the narrator of Tales of Halloween. Barbeau still contributes to the genre that made her famous, most recently on the anthology series American Horror Stories, and next in movies like Hellblazers and The Pitch-Fork.

12. Tony Todd

Co-starring in Hellblazers and The Pitch-Fork is Tony Todd, who recently appeared in Nia DaCosta’s 2021 sequel to 1992's Candyman, to reprise the titular ghostly slasher - which he originated after taking over Duane Jones’ role in Tom Savini’s 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake. Having since starred in classics like the Final Destination movies or the more recent slasher throwback, Hell Fest, in 2018, and racking up a 240-credit career that is predominantly horror, Todd is easily one of the most beloved Scream Kings alive.

11. Doug Jones

Appearing in his own insane amount of credits with rarely ever showing his face is Doug Jones - a.k.a. Billy Butcherson in the Hocus Pocus cast, and most creatures you see in a Guillermo del Toro movie (i.e. Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water), to name just a few. This master of disguise (and master contortionist) has given audiences new appreciation for the movie stars who stay hidden in plain sight.

10. Linda Blair

Speaking of acting under heavy makeup, Linda Blair gave a rare, Oscar-nominated performance as the possessed Regan MacNeil in 1973’s The Exorcist at only 14 - forever associating herself with one of the scariest and best horror movies ever. She would revisit the role twice - in the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic and 1990's spoof Repossessed, with Leslie Nielsen - and starred in several other favorites (like 1981’s Hell Night and the original Scream) continuing to insure herself as horror royalty. 

9. Christopher Lee 

Also known for revisiting a famous role multiple times is Sir Christopher Lee, who (along with his frequent co-star, Peter Cushing) essentially became the face of Hammer’s gothic dramas by playing its iterations of Frankenstein's Monster or the Mummy, before originating other iconic roles in the likes of Horror Express or The Wicker Man (the original from 1973). When he passed away in 2015 at 93, his most cited characters in memoriam might have been Saruman in The Lord of the Rings movies, or Count Dooku from the Star Wars movies , but to those who knew him best, he will always be their Dracula, whom he played ten times, beginning with 1957's Horror of Dracula. 

8. Bela Lugosi

Of course, the first image most associate with Dracula is the dagger-eyed, Romanian-born Bela Lugosi in Universal’s 1931 classic, that immediately made him a horror icon. Before giving his final performance in Ed Wood’s infamous 1957 sci-fi flick Plan 9 from Outer Space, he even became a part of Universal’s Frankenstein franchise as Ygor, and as the Creature himself in the 1943 crossover Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.

7. Boris Karloff 

Of course, the first image most associate with Frankenstein’s Monster (not Dr. Frankenstein, to be clear) is Bela Lugoi’s frequent co-star Boris Karloff, in Universal’s 1931 classic that immediately made him a horror legend. He also played the titular villain of 1932's The Mummy, and even got to portray the reversal of his best known role as a descendent of Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein 1970. His booming voice later became well-known among a young demographic for the 1966 animated special How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as both the narrator and the voice of Dr. Seuss’ curmudgeonly creation.

6. Barbara Crampton 

While not a household name like Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi, Barbara Crampton has just as much notoriety in the horror community as either of them for a career that is defined by, practically, all distinguished horror subgenres. From gross-out body horror in H.P. Lovecraft adaptations Re-Animator and From Beyond, the fun B-movie schlock in Chopping Mall, or clever home invasion thrills in You’re Next, she has literally done it all and, now in her 60s, she is far from finished, having recently appeared in a few Shudder movies (including Jakob’s Wife), the platform’s Creepshow TV series, and a new zombie video game called Back 4 Blood.

5. Robert Englund

Video games also appear on Robert Englund’s filmography, including 2011’s Mortal Kombat, in which he reprises Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Chewing the scenery for years as the badly burned, razor-gloved boogeyman would lead to a career of more blood and guts than you could ever dream of. In other words, Englund has also done it all when it comes to horror and still continues expand on his prevalence there to this day, such as joining the cast of Stranger Things Season 4 being one of his coolest new ventures.

4. Sigourney Weaver 

While Robert Englund is, admittedly, not known for much outside of horror, Sigourney Weaver is known for plenty more, but the first of her three Oscar nominations was for playing the undisputedly badass Ellen Ripley in 1986’s Aliens - the action-packed sequel to Alien. The 1979 sci-fi slasher skyrocketed her to the A-list, making her appearances in further thrillers like The Village, The Cabin in the Woods, or A Monster Calls all the more crowd-pleasing. Weaver is once again playing Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, proving she is always game to return to the genre that made her one of Hollywood’s most powerful stars.

3. Vincent Price 

Another horror icon known to employ a healthy sense of variety is Vincent Price, who became one of the genre's most famous faces in the 1950s for major roles in the original versions of House of Wax, The Fly, and House on Haunted Hill, as well as several Edgar Allan Poe adaptations. “The King of Grand Guignol” later had the honor of “rapping” in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and narrating a 1982 short film called Vincent (about a boy obsessed with the actor himself) which was written and directed by Tim Burton, who would cast him in Edward Scissorhands: his final theatrically released film.

2. Bruce Campbell 

No one has deserved to inherit the B-movie “King” title from Vincent Price like Bruce Campbell - co-producer and "final man" of the Evil Dead movies, who went on to be the ultimate horror movie hero in several more creepy and cheesy classics like Bubba Ho-Tep or My Name is Bruce (which he directs and plays himself in). Fans were saddened to see Campbell retire the Ash Williams character after Ash vs. Evil Dead's cancellation, but he is reprising the chainsaw-handed Deadite killer in the upcoming Evil Dead video game and is producing Evil Dead Rise, the franchise’s latest installment, with Sam Raimi.

1. Jamie Lee Curtis 

Also producing (and starring in) the newest installments of her flagship franchise is Jamie Lee Curtis, whom I previously called the all-time greatest horror Scream Queen. But, I also feel she is most qualified to be the all-time greatest horror movie actor, in general, since her debut role as Laurie Strode in 1978's Halloween set the modern precedent for great acting in horror movies. Despite confessing to not necessarily loving the genre, it still cannot get enough of her, which she seems proud of, especially considering her upcoming directorial debut, Mother Nature, is a Blumhouse-produced thriller.

Before we go, let's take a look at some honorable mentions of horror royalty who nearly made the cut.

Honorable Mentions

Anthony Perkins - Psycho (1960)

Heather Langenkamp - A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 

Duane Jones - Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Dee Wallace - The Howling (1981)

Kane Hodder - Friday the 13th movies (1988- 2003)

Lin Shaye - Insidious (2011)

Well, long live the King and Queen of horror, who I am surprised have never appeared in a movie together. (Make it happen, Hollywood!) Of course, naming Bruce Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis the ultimate in horror movie royalty is just one opinion among the many others that make the genre so wonderfully versatile. Whether it is slashers or ghost stories, there is always something different for everyone to enjoy, especially when their favorite actor is in the lead.

This year has been an unprecedented one for the film and TV world, as countless projects have been pushed back when sets around the world were shut down. Season 4 of Netflix's Stranger Things was one project that fans will have to wait a bit longer for, although work is clearly being done on new episodes. This can be seen through the latest casting announcements, which revealed that Freddy Krueger icon Robert Englund and more will be joining the beloved sci-fi streamer.

Stranger Things has made actors like Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour into household names, and some strong talent has joined Hawkins throughout the years. Season 4 will continue this trend by welcoming a slew of newcomers, including both series regulars and guest stars. For instance, A Nightmare on Elm Street actor Robert Englund is joining Stranger Things in a guest actor capacity as Victor Creel, who is described as a disturbed man serving time in a psychiatric hospital after committing murder decades ago. Clearly his work as beloved horror villain Freddy Krueger will lend itself well to the role, and fans of the genre will be thrilled to see his inclusion.

Aside from Robert Englund, a variety of other names have also been added to the cast of Stranger Things for the upcoming fourth season. Three new series regulars have been added, including actor Eduardo Franco who is known for comedic roles in Booksmart and The Binge. He'll be joined by fellow series regulars Jamie Campbell Bower (Twilight, Sweeney Todd) and Joseph Quinn (Game of Thrones). They'll all clearly have major roles to play in Season 4, playing an orderly, Jonathan's best friend, and the head of Hawkins High's D&D club respectively.

Clearly the Stranger Things execs went for some familiar faces to help round out the cast for Season 4, with many of the new actors having experience with genre work. Game of Thrones' very own Jaqen H'ghar Thomas Wlaschiha will also be guest starring in the new season, playing a Russian guard who befriends Hopper. Other guest stars include Sherman Augustus (Into the Badlands) Mason Dye, and Nikola Djuricko.

Stranger Things 4's contents are a complete mystery at this point, as Netflix usually likes to keep the contents of the flagship science fiction series under wraps. But narratively there are a ton of places to go, especially following the wild Season 3 finale. Fans are most eager to see what happened to David Harbor's Hopper, who seemingly perished before being revealed as a Russian prisoner.

There's also a ton of narrative threads to pull from other characters, most notably Eleven. Millie Bobby Brown's character seemingly lost her psychic powers at the end of the season, after overexerting herself fighting off the Mindflayer. And with the group thinking that Hopper died, she was adopted by Joyce as she moved her family away from Hawkins and the countless traumas they faced as a result of the town's labs.

Stranger Things' fourth season is expected to hit Netflix sometime in 2021. In the meantime, check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

When it comes to playing A Nightmare On Elm Street’s legendary boogieman Freddy Kruger, actor Robert Englund still thinks he’s got another round of terror left in him. But obviously the man who terrorized the dreams of fans and fiends alike knows he’s not up for a physically demanding entry in the franchise. Which makes the fact that he’d jump at the chance to bring Freddy to life through animation all the more exciting.

In a recent interview, Robert Englund pitched this pretty exciting prospect that’s gotten the ball rolling on some interesting developments:

While seeing Robert Englund in costume and makeup one last time, besides that cameo performance you see up above from The Goldbergs, is something all Nightmare fans would love to see, that’s a possibility that the legendary horror actor has ruled out. But an animated adventure feels like a tradeoff that fans could, and should, be more than happy with.

Through the medium of animation, the havoc that Freddy Kruger wreaks on the teenagers of Springwood, in both reality and the dreamscapes of his various victims, could be incredibly visceral. It isn’t exactly business as usual, but it’s an opportunity that could see Robert Englund back at the Elm Street table; and possibly Elijah Wood, if he feels the idea for this new film is to his liking as a potential producer.

During Robert Englund’s time chatting with SyFy Wire, he did state that either a prequel story delving into Freddy’s legal proceedings, or a cameo in an Elm Street movie with another Freddy, could be ways of bringing him back to the live action fold. That former possibility sounds particularly interesting, especially if fellow Nightmare on Elm Street veteran John Saxon helped write the script. It’s not that crazy, as Saxon has done it before, and that kernel of an idea was intriguing to say the least.

Even after talking out a potential live-action return for Freddy Kruger, with Robert Englund in tow in some fashion, that animated idea sounds rather fantastic. If anything, a hybrid of live-action story and animated nightmares could be an even better prospect, allowing Englund to suit up one last time without any stunt work, as well as passing the baton onto a brand new mastermind of nightmare warfare.

Either way, if Robert Englund wants to come back to A Nightmare On Elm Street, whatever he dreams up is something that should be considered. It’s the least those in charge can do for the legions of viewers that lost sleep over his chilling legacy of terror.

There’s no real idea as to when, or how, A Nightmare On Elm Street could come back to the waking world. But as soon as any updates are made available, be they The Conjuring franchise making way for Freddy or any other inciting incident, we here at CinemaBlend will break those details when they come.

Character actor Robert Englund has played horror icon Freddy Krueger in every one of the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies, save for the poorly received 2010 remake of Wes Craven’s 1984 film, where Jackie Earle Haley took over the role. Robert Englund is Freddy, but he hasn’t donned the hat and claws in a feature film since 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason. Despite that, Robert Englund thinks he might have one more in him before passing the mantle off to someone else, as he explained:

Speaking at New Jersey’s Monster Mania Con, recorded by Dead Entertainment, Robert Englund sounds down to play Freddy Krueger on the big screen, but don’t call it a comeback. It would be more like a farewell tour. He doesn’t sound particularly gung-ho about the idea of playing Freddy again though, perhaps because he is getting older. He’s in his 70s now, and as he said, he might need a concentrated dose of vitamins to be up to it.

So although Robert Englund didn’t rule out the possibility entirely and we could see him return as Freddy Krueger for one last hurrah, he is looking more towards the future. The actor seems to have some sense of ownership over the franchise and acting as its steward, he is concerned with who plays Freddy next, be it in the very next film or after his own swan song.

Since he knows that he can’t be Freddy anymore and be the one to carry the franchise forward, Robert Englund is concerned with the Nightmare on Elm Street finding someone who can. He wants a great replacement who is capable and committed for the long haul, as he was, to portray Freddie Krueger in multiple films, not just a remake of the first film, like the 2010 movie.

You can tell how much Robert Englund cares about Freddy Krueger and the fans and wants the franchise to find the right person for the job. On that front, he did voice his approval of a rumor he heard that Kevin Bacon could be up for the role. Robert Englund thinks him or someone like him is the man for the job, and he praised Kevin Bacon as the kind of real character actor who loves horror that would be right for it.

The question for horror fans now is, when will we finally see the next Nightmare on Elm Street film and when we do, will Robert Englund return to play Freddy or will a different actor come in to define the part for a new generation? It’s too early to know the answer to the latter part of that question at the moment.

As far as what’s going on with the franchise, David Leslie Johnson McGoldrick, writer of Aquaman, The Conjuring 3 and Aquaman 2 is attached to pen the script for a reboot. Around the beginning of the year, he indicated that the project is still happening, but it’s kind of on the back burner.

With the reboot craze and the horror renaissance both happening at once, it seems likely that A Nightmare on Elm Street will be haunting theater screens and our dreams sooner or later.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of this year’s upcoming movies and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

The horror genre has been on a serious roll in the past few years, although the name on everyone's lip right now is Halloween. Arriving perfectly in time for the titular holiday, David Gordon Green's new Halloween sequel broke box office records when it debuted last month, bringing back the talents of Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, and creator John Carpenter.

John Carpenter's original Halloween changed the genre forever, and it turns out that it had another horror legend working on it: Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund. Englund recently revealed this news in an interview, saying:

Well, this is awesome. While Robert Englund has given endless people nightmares about Freddy, it turns out that the iconic actor actually had his razor sharp hands on the Halloween franchise. Even if it was just dressing the set in an attempt to create the world of Haddonfield.

Robert Englund's comments from [Access Online][1] are sure to delight the hardcore horror fans out there. Classic movies like Halloween and Friday the 13th have a special place in moviegoers' hearts, so this unintentional crossover is enough to set the fandom into a frenzy. As if Laurie Strode's first run-in with Michael Myers wasn't traumatic enough, Freddy Krueger was actually close enough to haunt her dreams, should the scream queen get the chance to finally lay her head down.

[1]: http://It's so funny, I actually had a roommate, back when they did the original Halloween... the John Carpenter one. And he conned me into going to Pasadena one day, with garbage bags full of dead leaves. And we were working on the set of the original Halloween, throwing the dead leaves around. So it looked like Autumn... it looked like Fall back in the Midwest.)

Originally released in 1978 and 1984 respectively, the Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises have both had extremely long runs in the theater. Just ask Robert Englund, who has personally starred in a whopping eight movies as Freddy Krueger. As such, they've both remained iconic and relevant pop culture. While Jamie Lee Curtis recently starred in a new Halloween, Englund reprised his role as Freddy in an episode of The Goldbergs.

It's particularly amusing that Robert Englund worked on the set dressing of Halloween, as it's an aspect of John Carpenter's legendary movie that hasn't aged particularly well. Made in California, autumnal leaves and costumes were used to make it looks like fall in Haddonfield, Illinois. While it mostly succeeds, there are a few shots in Halloween with visible palm trees- something that the fans know and love. And it turns out that we actually have Robert Englund himself to thanks for at least part of it.

Blumhouse's Halloween sequel is still in theaters now, with rumors of yet another movie starring Jamie Lee Curtis swirling around. Robert Englund has recently said he'd be interested in doing another Nightmare on Elm Street, although he might not physically be up to playing his iconic role. Watchmen actor Jackie Earle Haley played Freddy in the 2010 movie, which is the last time a Nightmare movie was in theaters.

Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

Nobody is ready for Halloween quite like ABC's The Goldbergs. The 1980s-embracing sitcom has pulled out the stops for a magnificently nightmarish cameo from Freddy Krueger himself. Below, you'll see the first shots from Robert Englund's big return as the Bastard Son of 100 Maniacs. Run, Beverly, run!

This truly is the most magical time of year...for horror fans. While Robert Englund had previously claimed he was getting too old to get back into the Freddy makeup, that hasn't proven true. Of course, The Goldbergs likely won't make him go through any physically taxing stunts during the episode "Mister Knifey-Hands." No cartwheels and handstands for this guy.

In the episode, Adam is allowed to watch Nightmare on Elm Street by Jackie' parents, despite Beverly having qualms against it. It leads to a tiff between the families, but it's Beverly who gets plagued by nightmares of Springwood, Ohio's finest.

Is it just me, or does it look like he's rocking the face someone makes when they've just farted and they don't want you walking behind them? It's very much a "You do NOT want to go in there, trust me." Granted, because it's Freddy, it might be a pile of corpses rather than fart gas. But the face still implies something is up.

Freddy has always been at home in suburbia, given that's where most of his victims lived in the original flicks. But maybe don't expect to see other familiar locations like the boiler rooms that Freddy loves to creep around in. But maybe do expect to see him out standing in a field?

If Freddy was going after the Children of the Corn, that might be a fun tie-in to one of the lesser-appreciated Stephen King stories and film adaptations. Or maybe not.

According to the episode synopsis, Beverly's nightmare will teach her an important lesson about Adam and Jackie's relationship. It doesn't say, however, whether or not she actually survives her encounter with Freddy. She's in images for the following episodes, though, so...spoilers, I guess.

Robert Englund hasn't appeared in an Elm Street-related film as Freddy Krueger since 2003's Freddy vs. Jason. However, he did don the makeup again for the documentary Nightmares in the Makeup Chair, which was due to release this year. And in case anyone wondered who he'd like to see take the mantle as Freddy, his vote goes to Kevin Bacon taking on the iconic role.

_Head to the next page to see more images from the upcoming Goldbergs episode, including one pic of some familiar jump-roping youths. _

1, 2, Freddy's coming for you, Beverly. 3, 4, better lock your door, Beverly. Okay, you guys get the point. That's my way of introducing this shot of the creepy as hell children known for their jump-roping and singing in the Elm Street series.

As awesome as it is to see Robert Englund back as Freddy, I am so impressed that The Goldbergs also pulled those girls into the episode. It's not like it's a deep-cut reference, but it's a great touch. Now if Barry could just turn into a cockroach to mimic the scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, that would be perfect.

This final shot could possibly be setting up a gag where it's actually Freddy who is having the nightmare. (A joke that was actually used in Dokken's "Dream Warriors" music video.) Unless Beverly wakes up next to Freddy in bed, rather than next to Murray. Which could be a good or a bad thing, depending on the morning.

The Goldbergs will air "Mister Knifey-Hands" on Wednesday, October 24, at 8:00 p.m ET. And you can find it airing on ABC every Wednesday night in the same time slot. You can check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see all the other spooky and dreamlike shows coming to the small screen.

The Goldbergs is preparing for its Halloween episode, and they have booked a particularly frightening guest star. Taking to Twitter to promote the special installment of the series, the show has shared a video clip featuring two of the episode's stars. In it, actress Wendi McLendon-Covey can be seen seemingly in-character as Goldberg matriarch Wendy, as she introduces viewers to the series' frightening special guest: Freddy Krueger! You can watch the clip for yourself below:

That's right! Robert Englund is in full makeup as the infamous horror movie character! Making it all the more-headline worthy is that back in 2017, the actor expressed hesitance about reprising the role for a movie. Another thing worthy of note is how stellar the special effects makeup is. CGI still does not create such a realistic result. It may not be a return to the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, but it is still very exciting for fans of the horror franchise.

It has been almost 15 years since Robert Englund portrayed Freddy Krueger in a movie. That happened in 2003's Freddy vs. Jason. In 2010, the original film was remade with Rooney Mara in the lead, although Jackie Earle Haley took on the role of Krueger. With The Goldbergs' Adam love of pop culture, you can bet he will be involved with the appearance of Freddy Krueger.

The Goldbergs is set in the '1980s, which puts it around the time the first A Nightmare on Elm Street was released (which was 1984). Could the evil Krueger be haunting Adam's nightmares? Well, it seems a possibility. The promo is a significant reveal, and it looks like The Goldbergs will not be holding back on Robert Englund bringing Freddy Krueger back to life.

For The Goldbergs to land Robert Englund reprising his infamous role is a pretty big deal. Given that the show is a comedy, it would be highly unlikely that the show's take on Freddy Krueger will be as terrifying as the horror franchise's. Could donning the makeup spark renewed interest in a potential remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street with Englund reprising the role of Krueger? It has been eight years since the 2010 remake, which means a million in Hollywood years.

If it does, fans could potentially have The Goldbergs to thank for it. Interest in reviving the franchise would surge even more if the fan favorite were back in the role. While 15 years is an extensive time to be away from a role, based on the clip Robert Englund is able to pick up exactly where he left off.

The Goldbergs will return for its sixth season premiere on Wednesday, September 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The Halloween episode featuring Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger should air sometime in October. The Goldbergs will not be the only series making its return this fall, including on the Alphabet Network.

There are horror movies, and then there are classics of the genre, featuring iconic villains. A Nightmare On Elm Street is the latter, as the villainous Freddy Krueger is one of the biggest characters in horror history. Freddy was always equally horrifying and he was surprisingly hilarious, and he was played in nearly every movie by none other than the great Robert Englund. With nostalgia ruling the day and other horror classics like the Halloween and Friday The 13th developing new sequels, could Englund slip Freddy's glove back on for another adventure? Probably not. As Englund explained, he's just getting too old.

While generations of Nightmare on Elm Street fans would love to see Robert Englund invading the dreams of some more teenage victims, it looks like the actor doesn't feel quite ready to play his signature character again. After all, the guy is 70 years old at this point, and Freddy usually has a fair amount of action sequences.

Robert Englund's comments to EW do make sense, and he also references what was apparently his final time playing the role of Freddy. Englund was last seen in Freddy's sweater in 2003's Freddy vs. Jason. The film co-starred Kelly Rowland and Jason Ritter, and saw the two iconic horror villains facing off in a war for supremacy and the same set of victims. The film ended with Jason apparently winning and decapitating Freddy. But as the Friday the 13th villain rose from Camp Crystal Lake's waters with Freddy's head, it winked at the audience-- proving that Freddy always gets the last laugh. Englund didn't know it then, but that wink would be his final shot as the character, which he seems to get a kick out of.

Of course, there was another Nightmare on Elm Street film released in 2010. This was intended to be a reboot for the franchise, and starred Watchmen actor Jackie Earle Haley as the new Freddy. But despite a supporting cast that included Rooney Mara and strong box office performance, the film was critically panned and the planned reboot was cancelled. What a nightmare.

It's currently unclear when and if A Nightmare on Elm Street will continue, although it seems it will be without Robert Englund. But considering how his performance really made the character, whoever replaces him will have big shoes to fill.

Be sure to check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

The Nightmare on Elm Street franchise has seen quite a few "what if?" projects pop up over the years, as several unique writers, directors, and actors have toyed with different versions of the Freddy Krueger narrative. As it turns out, one such person who unsuccessfully tried to make a Nightmare movie was Freddy himself, Robert Englund. I recently had a chance to ask Englund about some famous unmade Nightmare on Elm Street films ahead of the release of his upcoming movie, Nightworld, and he admitted that his unmade take on Part 3 would've expanded on the mythology of Tina Gray from the first film. The horror icon elaborated:

Those of you familiar with the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise will quickly recognize the name Tina Gray -- the very first victim in the very first Nightmare movie. Although Tina is little more than a sacrificial lamb to propel Nancy Thompson to action during the events of the first film, Englund's version of the third entry in the series would've focused more heavily on her family as her sister comes to Elm Street to investigate the mysterious dream murderer claiming the lives of teenagers.

As many horror fans already know, instead of Robert Englund's version of A Nightmare on Elm Street: Part 3, we eventually got A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors instead, which saw Freddy face off against Nancy Thompson in a mental hospital. It's not his movie, but we have a feeling that he doesn't mind all that much. The film has become widely regarded as one of the superior Nightmare on Elm Street sequels (aside from the original and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, it has the best Rotten Tomatoes score), and it even gave us the now-famous Dokken song, "Dream Warriors."

Of course, Robert Englund's unsuccessful attempt to make Nightmare on Elm Street: Part 3 is just one of many versions of the Freddy story that never made it to the silver screen. In addition to Englund's project, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson also wrote a Nightmare script that never got made, and many fans have been waiting to see the long-awaited Freddy vs. Jason sequel, Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, for years. By his admission, Englund thinks that he's growing too old to play Freddy much longer, but if that rumored reboot starring Kevin Bacon ever materializes, this unmade attempt at Part 3 seems like an excellent story opportunity.

You will be able to catch Robert Englund in his latest film, Nightworld, in select theaters and On-Demand on October 20. Beyond that, take a look at CinemaBlend's handy guide to horror movies that we're dying to see, as well as our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide!

Freddy Krueger is different from many other immortal silver screen serial killers because, unlike Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, the actor under the makeup matters. There's a vital performance aspect to playing the role, and Robert Englund has arguably become inextricable from the slasher. That said, I recently had a chance to ask Englund about the possibility of someone inheriting the character in a new iteration of A Nightmare on Elm Street ahead of the release of his new film, Nightworld. And the horror icon admitted that he wants to see what Kevin Bacon can do as the new Freddy. Englund explained:

The possibility of Kevin Bacon stepping in for Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger has surfaced before. In fact, Bacon himself has actually become a vocal supporter of the idea. Given his tenure in the horror genre, he seems to make him a natural fit for the role of A Nightmare on Elm Street's burned, wise-cracking villain. With Englund's blessing, this could represent a big step towards putting Bacon in the sweater, hat, and glove if the rumored reboot moves forward.

Looking at Kevin Bacon's filmography, it's hard not to think that Robert Englund has a serious point. With ample experience blending drama, creepiness, and a dose of black comedy -- in films like Jon Watts' Cop Car, James Wan's Death Sentence and Matthew Vaugh's X-Men: First Class -- there's an easy argument to be made that he's tailor-made to replace Englund as the loquacious killer of the teens on Elm Street. Even his turn in Hollow Man showed that he can do some great work as a disembodied presence with supernatural abilities and a notable lack of sanity.

Enlisting the acting chops of someone like Kevin Bacon could also go a long way towards adding a layer of credibility to a potential reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street. After all, the series has been on ice since 2010, when the series unsuccessfully tried (critically speaking, at least) to reboot itself with Jackie Earle Hayley in the role of Freddy. Although Hayley's performance certainly has its share of fans, the attempted reboot suffered from the decision to retread (and water down) the source material, as well as its mishandling of its teenage characters. Ramping up fan enthusiasm for a remake of a classic horror film is a tough job (particularly when so many fall flat), but the inclusion of Kevin Bacon seems like just the right twist to bring Freddy back to his creepy (but still fun) roots.

Make sure to catch Robert Englund in his latest film, Nightworld, in select theaters and On-Demand on October 20. Beyond that, take a look at CinemaBlend's handy guide to horror movies that we're dying to see, and take a glance at our 2017 movie premiere guide and our 2018 movie premiere guide as well!

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While studio headbutting wound up getting in the way, there was once a time when movie fans were going to be treated to the incredible cinematic sight of Evil Dead's Ash Campbell going toe-to-toe-to-toe with A Nightmare On Elm Street's Freddy Kruger and Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees. Ultimately it was indecision about who would win the conflict that killed the project, but if it were up to Freddy himself, Robert Englund, it would have been the guy with the chainsaw arm who walked away the victor. In a recent interview, Englund said,

Robert Englund was asked about the never made Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash in an interview with Bloody Disgusting, and while it comes as a surprise to absolutely nobody that Sam Raimi wanted Bruce Campbell's Ash to defeat the monsters, it's really funny that the Nightmare On Elm Street star would feel the same way. Then again, there are probably many genre fans out there who would consider it an honor to be killed on-screen by the great slayer of Deadites.

It's great to know that Robert Englund would have been totally on-board with Freddy dying yet again in Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, but what makes this news bittersweet is that he is directly referencing the exact sticking point that eventually led New Line Cinema to back away from the idea of making the film. Bruce Campbell spoke about the lawyer-driven conflict last year while promoting the series Ash vs. Evil Dead... while also subtly adding in his own feelings about how big battle needed to end. He told Yahoo! Movies,

When you consider that Ash is A) the only hero in the trio, and B) the only one who has never died or been resurrected on-screen, his victory over Freddy and Jason in Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash makes all the sense in the world... but sadly not everyone could understand that. Fortunately, this is something that writers James Kuhoric and Jeff Katz and artist Jason Craig got right in their two six-issue comic book miniseries that were released a few years ago.

How do you think the big screen battle between Ash, Freddy and Jason would have gone down? Do you agree with Robert Englund and Bruce Campbell, or do you have a different take on how the fight would end? Hit the comments below with your thoughts!

As far as horror villains go, you would be hard-pressed to think of someone more iconic than Freddy Krueger. Robert Englund's supernatural serial killer quite literally haunts our dreams, and Wes Craven's A Nightmare On Elm Street remains one of the quintessential 1980s horror movies to this day. After a long absence, Englund recently dusted off the Freddy makeup for his upcoming documentary Nightmares in the Makeup Chair, and it seems that his goal for the project was to show his love for the world of practical makeup and makeup artists. The horror legend explained:

Robert Englund's recent comments to EW pretty much echo what fans of horror already know about the genre: practical makeup almost always works better than computer generated imagery -- at least with the current limitations of technology. With Nightmares in the Makeup Chair, Englund wants to pay tribute to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, while also celebrating the unsung heroes who work in the practical makeup industry. By shining a light on that particular subset of the film production process, Englund's hope is to inspire more people to pay attention to it and even potentially create a resurgence in the art form.

The importance of practical makeup in horror becomes even more important when we consider the recent history of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Jackie Earle Hayley replaced Robert Englund in the widely panned 2010 remake, and while Hayley delivered a relatively commendable performance as the dream-stalking villain, the CGI-makeup hybrid used to create his horrific, burned visage has already become incredibly dated.

Obviously, the remake suffered from more problems than just bad makeup, but if director Samuel Bayer had been more willing to embrace a practical design for this particular horror icon, we could've at least walked away knowing that Freddy didn't look like he was created in a computer. CGI is in a constant state of evolution, but practical effects never go out of style.

Beyond the upcoming documentary's core thesis, it simply seems like a fantastic way to honor an iconic horror franchise in the best way possible. Check out the trailer for the film below to see Robert Englund slide comfortably back into his classic slasher character:

Nightmares in the Makeup Chair is currently set to debut later this year. Stay tuned for more details!

Freddy Krueger is one of the most iconic characters in all of horror. Robert Englund played the character over a nearly endless series of Nightmare on Elm Street films, and it appears the plan is to reboot him over and over again until they get it right. However, the original Freddy has a pretty damn good idea about how to do that. The actor recently spoke in an interview about the idea he would have loved to have done as the man who kills you in your dreams.

Can somebody please make this movie, like, right now? We think Robert Englund is on to something with his comments to Florida Today. It's a great idea that plays with the dream world of the movies in new and interesting ways. While Freddy was always the same in the original movies, the places where he committed his dream based killings were usually based on the dream of the teenager. So why can't the dreams also impact Freddy? It might actually help the attempt to reboot the franchise because doing a story like this would free you from the necessity to make a version of Freddy Krueger that isn't too different from the original. You could cast a variety of different actors in the role who could each bring their own unique take to the character.

It would also mean that the studio wouldn't even need to reboot the franchise by trying to remake the original Nightmare on Elm Street in the first place. You could actually make a movie that was technically a sequel to the original series of films but use this new idea to reboot the movies into a different direction. IF they're going to insist on continuing to try and make these movies, it's not a bad way to do it.

What do you think? Is this a great idea for a Nightmare on Elm Street movie that will probably never be made? Is there any hope for rebooting the franchise, or should the studios just quit now? Let us know what you think in the comments.

When you think of iconic horror franchise, it’s safe to say that one of the first ones that claw its way into your head is A Nightmare on Elm Street. It’s spawned seven sequels, a TV series, and a crossover with Jason Voorhees that no one needs to talk about. The film was remade back in 2010 to less than favorable reviews, and it notably recast the role of nightmare machine Freddy Krueger. Robert Englund, who played Krueger in almost every version of the character, may not have been in that movie, but it doesn’t mean he can’t share his opinion on it.

According to The A.V. Club, Robert Englund was attending Belfast Comic-Con, promoting his latest movies The Midnight Man and Nightworld. Of course, the conversation inevitably turned toward A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Englund was asked what he thought about the remake. The 68-year-old actor expressed that there were things he did like about the movie, but he felt its biggest mistake was in the handling of the teenagers.

That makes a lot of sense. Just like the teenagers it murders, horror movies live or die based on how invested we are in the characters. If we don’t want anyone to live, then why should we be sad when they get dream murdered? Robert Englund did express that he really liked the cast of the movie, though, and pointed out Rooney Mara and Clancy Brown as specific examples. Even a movie with a great cast can fall short if it doesn’t utilize them properly (looking at you Fantastic Four).

As to Robert Englund not being in the remake, it seems that the actor might not be totally done with the franchise yet. Englund shared that there have been talks of rebooting Nightmare 3, which he believes is the most popular one. The 1987 film, subtitled Dream Warriors, was written by series creator Wes Craven, so it has some clout with fans of the series. While he didn’t say he was willing to wear the striped sweater and fancy hat again, Englund said he’d like to be offered a cameo role like playing "the cantankerous old professor or the group therapy guy that doesn’t believe they’re having nightmares." You've got to love the horror trope roles he picked.

We’ve got a new Friday the 13^th movie coming, plus John Carpenter returning to Halloween, so it’s really only a matter of time before we get a new Nightmare on Elm Street. Whether Robert Englund is involved, though, only time will tell.

Imagine all of the horror legends that scared you to hide behind the sofa as a kid. Now imagine if all of those legends were locked away in the same institution, just waiting for the right mishap to set them free upon the world. Congratulations, you've successfully envisioned the premise behind Death House - the horror genre's answer to The Expendables.

Now only a mind truly twisted and versed in the hallow halls of haunted Hollywood would be able to dream up a nightmare such as Death House, and as luck would have it, that mind happened to belong to the recently departed Gunnar "Leatherface" Hansen. As iHorror reported in their coverage of the project, Hansen crafted the script as a sort of coffee klatsch for the likes of Robert Englund, Doug Bradley, and Kane Hodder to all unite under. Except instead of trading gossip, these guys would be comparing body counts.

So out of all of the baddies housed in Death House's walls, there's a select group of "Five Stars" that represent the most vicious of the lot. They also happen to be the only hope for two unlucky government agents that happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, there isn't a place on Earth that seems like a "right spot" for an EMP attack, but Death House probably ranks as one of the top 2 places you wouldn't want to be during such a event. The other option, naturally, being on an island of dinosaurs.

If you think Death House sounds a little familiar, then you're probably thinking of the project as a sort of weird hybrid of Suicide Squad and The Expendables. Both are team-up pictures, with a wide variety of characters, and both involve teams that are good at what they do – whether they fight for good or bad. However, unlike either of those properties, Death House sounds like it takes the team-up aspect and flips it to the other side of the table, meaning we'll be focused on the two agents who will be forced to face down the forces of pure evil.

Also along for the ride in the who's who of horror luminaries that inhabit Death House are folks such as Bill Mosley (The Devil's Rejects,) Ken Foree (the original Dawn of the Dead,) Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator,) and Dee Wallace (The Howling.) With a line-up that promises even more surprises in store for those who dare to dig a little deeper, we've got our hopes up that once the cells are open, with doors unlocked and alarms blaring, we'll see some brutal action. Of course, Death House isn't set for release until at least sometime next year, so for now we'll just have to sit back and wait for everything to come together.

Horror movies are only as good as the monsters that inhabit them. From Michael Myers to Jason Voorhees, the slasher genre in particular has created some of the most iconic and distinctive looking mass murderers ever to grace the silver screen. Arguably no other slasher has maintained more mainstream exposure or than the nightmare-stalking Freddy Krueger – played to glorious effect by actor Robert Englund. However, the now legendary Freddy once looked quite different.

Bloody Disgusting (follow the link to see the images) has some new pictures that show how Freddy’s look for Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street films was almost significantly different. This transformation is chronicled in the crowd-funded documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy. His trademark sweater was always present, but it had no sleeves, and instead of a fedora, the supernatural serial killer adorned his head with a paperboy cap. This outfit gave him an almost soccer hooligan look, one that – while scary – still makes us appreciate the decision they ultimately went with. The character’s skin was also considerably less burned in the original iteration, but in the end the filmmakers opted to give him a more zombie appearance – apparently inspired by a pepperoni pizza for the ultimate design.

Many horror icons went through numerous permutations before ultimately evolving into their iconic forms. Jason Voorhees wore a burlap bag for the early portion of his career before putting on his trademark hockey mask – he wasn’t even the killer in the original Friday the 13^th movie. Also, Michael Myers’ trademark white mask – a spray painted William Shatner mask in reality – was the final choice for John Carpenter’s Halloween, but a clown mask was the second choice. Even Ash Williams of the Evil Dead franchise did not really pick up any of his iconic traits – chainsaw hand, double barreled boom stick, and witty one liners – until Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn.

Freddy’s image has become so iconic that it seems unlikely that it will ever change. Even the recent A Nightmare on Elm Street remake – which shifted the series to a much more sober and somber tone – opted to keep his appearance pretty much the same as in the original. Portrayed by Jackie Earle Hayley rather than Englund, you can check out his appearance from the remake below.

With Halloween upon us, be sure to check out the A Nightmare on Elm Street series – but you can skip Freddy Vs. Jason – and get terrified by Wes Craven and Robert Englund’s horrifyingly iconic creation.

Han Solo has become one of the most iconic anti-heroes in the history of cinema. Harrison Ford brought a degree of swagger and confidence to the original Star War trilogy that perfectly played off of the rest of the, somewhat nobler, ensemble. However, the Solo that audiences got was almost widely different, according to Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Englund opened up about his own audition for the role of Corellian smuggler Han Solo in Star Wars, and how the role almost went to Tom Selleck. He said:

Although the core of the film likely would have remained the same with this casting, certain elements would have most certainly been different. With Harrison Ford in the role, it gave Han Solo a much younger sensibility – almost like a big brother to Luke. This, in turn, gave Alec Guinness more room to breathe as the wise old soul aboard the Millennium Falcon. If Selleck had taken the role, Solo would have certainly been in competition with Obi-Wan for control of the situations they found themselves in. From Owen Lars to Obi-Wan to the mystery surrounding Anakin Skywalker, A New Hope is already packed to the brim with older male authority figures for Luke to answer to, so making Han a bit younger likely worked in the film’s favor.

Han Solo was a highly contested part even before Star Wars became a phenomenon. Many actors who would go on to become cinematic icons tested, such as Kurt Russell and Christopher Walken. You can check out Russell’s screen test for the role below just to get a sense of another version of Han that almost came to fruition.

In the end, Harrison Ford got the role and managed to embody the best of both worlds – old and young. Interestingly enough, Ford went on to beat out Selleck again for Indiana Jones in the early 1980s. His take on both characters has become iconic in the decades since the films hit theaters, and it’s doubtful that fans would have it any other way. Han Solo returns to theaters when Star Wars: The Force Awakens premieres on December 18, and the character’s history will be explored in an upcoming Star Wars anthology film.

Horror films are a classic part of the film industry. What would we do if we couldn’t drown our real-world fears in a cinema seat while sucking down a giant soda and mixing candy into our popcorn buckets? Ever since one of the genre’s masterworks, A Nightmare on Elm Street, was remade in 2010, people have been wondering if the series remakes would continue. And, fans have also wondered if Jackie Earle Haley would return to his role in the next remake or if, possibly, Robert Englund would return to the role. Well, in a Twitter post recently, Englund states that that would be unlikely.

So, what prompted this emphatic tweet from the former star of the frightful franchise? Well, an earlier article from Bloody Disgusting that quotes Robert Englund as saying he figures that the time has passed for him to take part in that way. But he does have an alternative idea...

Now, given the severity of the makeup used to bring our beloved Freddy Krueger to vibrant, chilling life, it wouldn’t technically be impossible for Robert Englund to head back to his old horror stomping grounds. He certainly did become the unintended star of the films. I remember fondly going to see one of the films with my mom and hearing other audience members rooting for Freddy to kill any and all teenagers present. As a villain, you just don’t get a response like that unless people love you.

So, it makes perfect sense that people who love the series would want Robert Englund back in the fold, and not just in any capacity, but as that cherished fantasy creeper. This isn’t to say that fans must have hated Jackie Earle Haley’s performance, he’s clearly a good actor capable of cranking up the creep when he needs to, but there’s something sort of oddly cozy about having a familiar actor behind the mask, makeup or scary voice of our prized movie mayhem makers.

Robert Englund’s proposed idea for his part in any continued re-imagined sequels is great. Here’s Mr. Innocently Helpful Dream Researcher just minding his own business, when he gets pulled into this nightmare of murdered kids and their confused, terrified parents. He does all he can, even hook himself up to a Dreamscape like experimental dream sharing machine, so he’s able to see what the teens see and try to make sense of it. And, then he becomes the first adult to ever be killed by Freddy in a nightmare. I mean, that’s the only thing that could happen, right?

When Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and horror are said in the same sentence, your gut instinct would wisely be to assume that it’s in reference to that cinematic mess that came out in August. But in this case, we’re talking about the animated Nickelodeon series of the same name, which just added genre icons Robert Englund and John Kassir for guest appearances in a nightmarish upcoming episode.

Englund is of course known for playing the wittily fearsome Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, while Kassir donned the ghoulish make-up for the Cryptkeeper in the Tales from the Crypt series and films. The episode will actually be within the realm of horror, though it would have admittedly been kind of cool to hear these guys voicing against-type characters, like fairy unicorns and whatnot. (Does this series feature fairy unicorns?)

The Nightmare on Elm Street films inspired the episode, titled “In Dreams,” in which a group of antagonists called the Dream Beavers make the Turtles’ nighttime lives a living hell. According to ComicBook.com, Englund will voice group leader Dire Beaver, as well as Dark Beaver, while Kassir will lend his pipes to the role of Dread Beaver. (Expect at least one turtle soup joke.) Each one of the Dream Beavers targets a different Turtle, feeding off of their dreams and keeping them imprisoned within their own sleepy subconscious minds. To save them, April and Casey have to figure out a way to wake the Turtles up.

The Dream Beavers are even influenced by the look of Freddy Krueger, as they’ll all have long and sharp claws resembling his iconic glove. Can we get Doug Bradley and a puzzle box involved in this episode before it airs? No? Dammit.

Englund has remained a vital presence in both the indie horror scene and the voicework scene over the past 30 years. His latest features are Robert Hall’s hallucinatory horror Fear Clinic and Phil Hawkins’ claustrophobic thriller The Last Showing. He and Candyman’s Tony Todd are also going to appear in Freak Out Scooby-Doo!, which comes out next year.

Kassir, meanwhile, has been all over the place in recent years, without much going the way of cryptkeeping. He’s currently filming Demetrius Navarro and Enrico Natale’s horror The Taker, and can be currently heard in video games like Bayonetta 2, Skylanders: Trap Team and Batman: Arkham Origins.

“In Dreams” is set to debut on Nickelodeon on Friday, November 14, at 8 p.m. ET.

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Wes Craven’s literal hellish nightmare, A Nightmare on Elm Street. That’s 30 whole years of teen murdering dream demons, 30 years of the "One, two, Freddy’s coming for you," chant and 30 years of the blitzed remains of Johnny Depp decorating a bedroom ceiling. In that time, Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund has also done a ton of autograph sessions and, as such, gotten a lot of strange requests. One recurring item to sign, however, has stood out.

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Englund references the infamous scene in which Tina Gray is slaughtered in her sleep.

Wait, what? Englund spends the majority of his post-Freddy career making Face Off appearances and signing stolen Elm Street signs? That famous line didn’t even come from the original Elm Street, but rather the substandard sixth sequel, Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare.

Craven later elaborates on his recent Twitter tell-all and notes that he came up with "Elm Street" in reference to the street that ran past the book depository where Kennedy was shot. For him, it was where the innocent world ended because, man, this guy is an ingeniously creative fuck and we love him for it.

As for Tina Grey’s untimely end, the director agrees on the iconic significance of the death scene, specifically how her bloody body flops up the walls before dropping from the ceiling to the bed, which is frequently cited as one of Freddy’s greatest kills (up there with Glen’s blood fountain).

To create the eerie effect of Freddy’s arms extending in the alleyway and his fingertips sparking along the wall, special effects master Jim Doyle says a lowly fishing pole gag was all it took. They then connected a car battery to the razor-sharp glove -- one of 17 used in production to be exact -- which sparked whenever it touched metal. Gray’s floating corpse was then produced with the use of a rotating room, not unlike the trick Fred Astaire used to dance up the sides of the wall of a room and across the ceiling. Who ever knew these two Fred’s would ever have anything in common?

When it comes to reality competition shows, I basically stick to cooking series and Syfy’s Face Off, as I love both food and monsters. The movie makeup challenge is entering Season 7, and one of the reasons it continues to attract viewers is because it’s a series based on imagination and the creation of art, neither of which can possibly be done to death. Face Off definitely has its recognizable tics, such as at least two people per episode saying, “I could go home tonight!” and the annoyingly drawn-out pre-commercial reveal teases, but there’s something exciting and hypnotic about watching characters come into being through makeup artists. For better or worse, Season 7 kicks things off in an unpredictable way by adding a new judge and some unneeded gimmicks to ramp up the pressure on the 16 contestants vying for the top prize.

Host McKenzie Westmore alerts everyone almost immediately to the day’s biggest twist: nobody is even technically a Face Off contestant yet, and the upcoming challenge is their Final Audition. Also, there’s going to be a double elimination. (Cue that one Face Off instrumental that really gets the audience pumped.) Double eliminations aren’t the most original spin, but it certainly puts everyone on their toes from the ground running. As one girl says, she quit her job to fly out for the taping, so not even making it to the show proper would be particularly devastating. I don’t quite understand why the Final Audition part even made it past the concept stage, as these people are all clearly on television while doing this, but whatever gives these artists more to say during their talking-head spots, I guess.

The contestants are, to be expected, an eclectic bunch. There’s no point in rattling off every single person’s name and past work here, but suffice to say all the bases are covered. One of the older contestants does amateur prosthetics with his son, one guy is an Emmy-winning artist with a lengthy Hollywood resume, and one is a former cake decorator who made a recent career change. One girl has blue hair and blue eyebrows, while one guy has a patterned beard and wears a brain slug-ish hat. But talent can only be judged by execution, right?

This is a Life or Death challenge, with half of the contestants choosing either a “life” or “death” motif, which comes with its own particular piece to use in their makeup, such as a scar prosthetic or a piece of fur. At one point in the competition, McKenzie surprises the group with a mid-challenge twist, which is when they bring out A Nightmare on Elm Street icon Robert Englund, who offers the group some advice on creating a memorable character.

The other big change in the show is Academy Award-winning makeup artist Lois Burwell (Braveheart) joining Neville Page and Glenn Hetrick at the judge’s table. While the beloved Ve Neill was present for the reveal and judgments, she will be absent for most of Season 7, as it was recorded during her time spent working on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 and its sequel. (She’ll be on three episodes, including this one.) While Burwell isn’t given much to do beyond offer a few generic opinions, she’s a legend in the biz and will hopefully offer a unique perspective on the ghoulish and angelic creations this season’s contestants will bring to the stage.

There are some great designs in this episode and it’s obvious some of these challengers are going to go far in life. Some contestants, on the other hand, should be hiding their own faces with makeup. As Face Off premieres go, this was…(commercial break)…about as good as it gets.

Face Off premieres tonight, July 22, and will air every Tuesday night on Syfy at 9 p.m. ET.

Treyarch is enlisting Hollywood talent for the Call of Duty: Black Ops Escalation zombie co-op level, "Call of the Dead." Night of the Living Dead director George Romero headlines a cast of celebrities that will appear in the map.

Romero will be joined by Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) and Danny Trejo (Machete). Those four will be the playable characters. Romero appears as a super zombie of sorts.

The map takes place in and around a stranded freighter in an arctic environment. The trailer presents it like a "grindhouse" film with faded colors. Wonder if they'll use a filter to replicate that effect in-game as well.

"Call of the Dead" is one of five maps included with the Escalation Map Pack. The other four - "Zoo", "Hotel", "Convoy", "Stockpile" - are for the normal competitive multiplayer modes. The maps will be released through Xbox Live on May 3rd and hit the PS3 and PC a month or so afterward.