Wes Craven's estate is taking pitches for a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie, and we think they should cast Kevin Bacon in a Freddy Krueger prequel. Earlier this year, a quirk of U.S. copyright law allowed the rights to A Nightmare on Elm Street to revert to their original creator, that being the late Craven, who wrote and directed the 1984 slasher classic. Up until now, Warner Bros. (owners of New Line Cinema, aka "The House That Freddy Built"), held worldwide rights to the Nightmare franchise and its iconic boogeyman Freddy Krueger.
Warner Bros. will still likely have to be involved in any new Nightmare on Elm Street projects though, as they still control the franchise outside of the U.S. and there would be no point in producing a Freddy movie or TV show that could only be distributed stateside. Whatever they decide to do with the Nightmare franchise, it's clear what Freddy actor Robert Englund would prefer they do: a prequel set prior to the first film.
Englund has long been a proponent for a Freddy Krueger prequel film, and feels that the franchise is incomplete without a look at Freddy's pre-death existence as a killer, and what led up to his eventual demise and rebirth as a dream demon. We've seen bits and pieces of that story in some of the Elm Street sequels, but that's not quite the same thing as a dedicated prequel movie. If Wes Craven's estate does decide to make a prequel, it turns out there's already a god candidate for the job.
Why Kevin Bacon Should Star in A Nightmare on Elm Street Prequel
In addition to endorsing the idea of A Nightmare on Elm Street prequel, Robert Englund has also repeatedly suggested that Kevin Bacon be selected to take over the Freddy role in a future film. Bacon has also lightly addressed the suggestion a few times, and implied he would be open to the possibility. On the surface, Bacon seems like a fine choice for Freddy, as he's shown in past horror and villainous roles that he's capable of lots of intensity and menace.
The only thing complicating the idea of him starring in a prequel is his age. Bacon is 61-years-old, much older than the mid-40s Englund was when playing Freddy as a human in Freddy's Dead's flashback scenes. That said, Bacon perpetually looks younger than he is, outside of in roles where's he purposely made to look like an older guy for character reasons. With the right make-up and wardrobe, Bacon could pretty easily pass for someone in their 40s or 50s. That's not to mention the idea of CGI de-aging, which could also be used if needed.
Outside of Bacon receiving Englund's personal endorsement for the Freddy Krueger role, there's another factor in Bacon's past that makes him perfect for the part. In life, Freddy was a child murderer, and while he killed mostly teenagers onscreen, it's never been subtle that his preferred targets as a human were little girls. Additionally, the Englund movies heavily implied that Freddy was a child molester as well, an element the 2010 remake made explicit. In 2004, Kevin Bacon starred in The Woodsman, playing a convicted child predator released after a long-stint in prison. Many actors would likely be hesitant to take on portraying such a despicable character, but Bacon has already done that, and done it well, despite the upsetting subject matter. For this reason and the others above, it's time for a Nightmare on Elm Street prequel to bring home the Bacon.