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:
Well the gossip I've heard, and I don't know how valid this is, but there has been some talk about using, or perhaps he's been approached, Kevin Bacon. Yeah. I think that would be great. He's in one of my favorite little horror movies, Stir of Echoes, and you should check it out if you haven't seen in. And I just think Kevin's the right size. I think he respects horror movies. He doesn't make fun of them. I think it would be real interesting.
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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