Veteran horror actor Robert Englund has said that he wants Kevin Bacon to play Freddy Krueger in the next Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. While there are still some fans who continue to wish that Englund himself would get back under the Freddy make-up one more time, the now 70-year-old horror icon has made it clear that he's done playing the character. That said, Englund obviously still has a lot of love for the enduring franchise he helped create, and would like to see New Line's next attempt at reviving it turn out well.
Both the Freddy character and the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise have lain dormant since director Samuel Bayer's 2010 remake of the original film, which starred Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) in the role of "final girl" Nancy, and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) as the new Freddy. While many fans found things to like to about Haley's portrayal of the Springwood Slasher, the film itself was a critical dud, and went over terribly with the series' diehard fanbase. While the remake performed well financially, earning $115 million on a $35 million budget, New Line clearly didn't see potential in continuing its story.
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While Englund has never had anything bad to say about Haley's rendition of Freddy, he's never been shy about voicing his dislike of the remake, and hopes that the Elm Street franchise could rebound. To that end, during a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Englund let it be known that he would very much like to see Kevin Bacon play Freddy if and when the series is once again rebooted. Here's the full quote:
"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."
As Englund refers to above, rumors of Bacon possibly playing Freddy have been going around the internet for awhile now, although it's unclear at this point where and when they first began. For his part, Bacon has expressed support for the idea publicly when the subject has been broached.
While Bacon would certainly be a much bigger name than would usually sign on for this type of slasher villain role, it's worth noting that he actually has quite a bit of horror-related work on his resume. In addition to the aforementioned Stir of Echoes, Bacon also starred in Flatliners, Tremors - a franchise he'll soon return to - and FOX drama The Following, which revolved around a serial killer cult. He also famously made his film debut in the original Friday the 13th, a fact he has never been ashamed of. As for when another Elm Street movie will finally happen, while another reboot was reported to be in development awhile back, there have been no major updates since.
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Source: Cinema Blend