Acclaimed writer/directorMike Flanaganis known for his work on a number of different projects,including his adaptations of the Stephen King novelsDoctor SleepandGerald’s Game, as well as his take on classic literature by way of Netflix’sThe Fall of the House of Usher,The Haunting of Hill House, andThe Haunting of Bly Manor. Though the horror auteur has been tappedto helm the next film inThe Exorcistseriesfor Blumhouse, there’s one franchise he recently noted would be a “dream” to work on:A Nightmare on Elm Street.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
On Elm Street, Nancy Thompson and a group of her friends (comprising Tina Gray, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz) are being tormented by a clawed killer in their dreams named Fred Krueger. Nancy must think quickly, as Fred tries to pick them off one by one. When he has you in your sleep, who is there to save you?
Taking toX(formerly Twitter) recently, Flanagan shared a piece of fan art that reimaginesA Nightmare on Elm Streetand its villain, Freddy Krueger,in the style of a Flanagan-inspired posterakin to his previous Netflix projects. Atop the ghoulish depiction of Krueger it reads “From Mike Flanagan, Creator of Midnight Mass,” while at the bottom it says “Coming Soon.” It is, of course,just fantasy at this point, but Mike Flanagan did share the artwork, adding his own caption that states“A guy can dream…”
Fans quickly rallied around the mythical project,saying that Flanagan would be the perfect personto helmA Nightmare on Elm Street,which hasn’t seen a new entry in the franchisesince the universally panned 2010 reboot that starred Jackie Earle Haley as Freddy Krueger. Check out some of the responses to Mike Flanagan’s fantasy booking as the director ofA Nightmare on Elm Streetbelow.
What Is the Future of A Nightmare on Elm Street?
Createdby the late Wes Craven,A Nightmare on Elm Streetfirst hit theaters on July 19, 2025,taking in $57 million dollars against a budget of just $1.1 million. Its successwould spawn an entire franchise, with eight more entries over the years, including the 2010 reboot, and the 2003 crossover film,Freddy vs. Jason. A television series,Freddy’s Nightmares, ran from 1988 to 1990, and to this day fans can still get their hands on a plethora of merchandisethat features the burnt face of Freddy Kruger,who was originally portrayed by Robert Englund.
Following the disastrous 2010 film,future projects in theA Nightmare on Elm Streetfranchise have gone undeveloped. In 2015, it was said that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema weredeveloping a sequel to the rebootwithOrphanscribe David Leslie Johnson penning the script, but by the following year, the project was said to be stuckin one of Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell. In 2018, Johnson claimed that the project was still in development, but that“The Conjuring universe is sort of first and foremost on New Line Cinema’s horror burner.”
Robert Englund Shares His Idea on How to Reboot A Nightmare on Elm Street
Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund believes a potential reboot should take inspiration from Dream Warriors.
In 2019, the rights toA Nightmare on Elm Streetrevertedback to the estate of Wes Craven, who passed away in 2015, and it’s been reported that pitches have been received for both feature films,and a television series for Max, all of which envision Robert Englund reprising his role of Freddy Kruger, who in the past has said he’d like to seeKevin Bacon play the part. However, while Englund, now 77,had at one point expressed interest in reprising the role himself, even going so faras to portray Freddy once morein a 2018 episode of the ABC sitcom,The Goldbergs,he’s since statedthat he’s done with Freddy due to a number of factors, including his age and health issues.
For now,A Nightmare on Elm Streetremains in limbo, but as Mike Flanaganis set to reviveThe Exorcistfor Blumhouse, perhaps his dreams can come true one day, and he can breathe new life intoone of the horror genre’s most beloved series.
The originalA Nightmare on Elm Streetis currently available to stream onNetflix, but the streamer does have it listed as ‘Leaving Soon.’
