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Credit: New Line CinemaFreddy Krueger may be female in the Elm Street reboot.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the most iconic slasher franchises of all time, but there’s no denying that it has fallen behind quite a bit.
Fellow slasher franchises like Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Child’s Play, and Friday the 13th continue to churn out new installments, whether sequels, reboots, or television shows. It was also recently announced that a Halloween shared universe is in the works.
But A Nightmare on Elm Street has fallen by the wayside. There hasn’t been a new film since the 2010 reboot from Platinum Dunes, which saw Jackie Earle Haley take over from Robert Englund as the hideously burned dream demon Freddy Krueger.
That’s not to say there isn’t already plenty of Elm Street content. Since Wes Craven’s first film was released in 1984, there have been eight entries.
There’s A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors (1987), A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991), Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), Freddy vs. Jason (2003), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).
Who Will Play Freddy in the Elm Street Reboot?
Sadly, it’s very unlikely that Robert Englund, who played Freddy Krueger in eight out of nine of the A Nightmare on Elm Street films, will ever return. In fact, the legendary horror icon has already announced his unofficial retirement from the franchise.
Now, we’ve already considered which actors might be suitable candidates to replace Robert Englund and take up the mantle of Freddy Krueger. A few names have also been thrown around over the years, and Kevin Bacon is one that always comes up in conversation.
More recently, Fast and Furious actor Sung Kang threw his hat into the ring to play Freddy Krueger in an Elm Street reboot. But will a reboot even happen? When you look elsewhere in the horror movie industry, saying that it’s only a matter of time is hardly far-fetched.
However, at this point, there’s no telling what form an Elm Street reboot might take. A legacy sequel, direct remake, television series, prequel — we’ll just have to wait and see. But what form might Freddy himself take? Is it time for something different?
Could Freddy even be female in the Elm Street reboot? Female-led reboots are hardly unheard of. Even in horror, 2022’s Hellraiser reboot featured a female version of the main antagonist, Pinhead, a character who was previously portrayed by Doug Bradley.
We also know that Freddy can take on any form he likes in the dream world, which was first established in Wes Craven’s original 1984 film. Or, perhaps the filmmakers are willing to rewrite the origins of the “Springwood Slasher” entirely to create something fresh.
Here are eight female actors who would be perfect to play a female version of Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot.
Female Actors Who Could Play Freddy Krueger in the Elm Street Reboot
Uma Thurman
These days, Uma Thurman is best known for starring in the Quentin Tarantino films Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). However, in the late ’90s, she was most famous for portraying the Batman villain Poison Ivy in Batman and Robin (1997).
Thurman’s portrayal as Gotham’s goddess of gardening might be incredibly cheesy (just like the rest of the film), but her one-liners have Freddy Krueger written all over them.
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o has starred in many films and has even appeared in Marvel’s Black Panther installments. But one of her most stand-out performances to date is the character Red in the excellent Jordan Peele horror film Us (2019).
Nyong’o plays two characters in the film — Adelaide Wilson and her “shadow,” Red. As the latter, she’s an unhinged, scissors-wielding creature from the dark. Sound familiar?
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie is no stranger to larger-than-life characters. While 2023’s Barbie was a box office phenomenon, she’s best known for playing Batman villain Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad (2016), Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (2020), and The Suicide Squad (2021).
But is it time Robbie played a much darker villain, like a female version of Freddy Krueger in the Elm Street reboot? Forget Barbie’s Dreamhouse — this would be a nightmare house.
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is another star who’s no stranger to playing villains, whether it’s Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), the Queen of Hearts in the Alice in Wonderland films, or Bellatrix Lestrange in four of the Harry Potter films.
But we think her version of Freddy should be heavily inspired by Bellatrix. After all, the twisted witch loves to taunt her victims, and the way she licks her teeth when she smiles…
Related: ‘Halloween’ Reboot May Trigger Anti-Woke Mob With Female Michael Myers
Samara Weaving
Samara Weaving has already starred in her fair share of horror movies. The Babysitter films on Netflix, Ready or Not (2019), and more recently, Scream VI (2023). But it’s high time the Australian actor got her shot at playing another horror movie villain.
Weaving is the main villain in The Babysitter films, and she definitely has what it takes to play a villain like Freddy. She already has an incredible scream; now, let’s hear that cackle…
Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton is a decorated actress who has appeared in many films, from The Beach (2000) to We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), and blockbusters such as Doctor Strange (2016), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and The Chronicles of Narnia (2005).
In Narnia, Swinton plays the White Witch/Queen Jadis. Freddy Krueger is very “witch-like” himself, and seeing Swinton bring her talents to the role would be a nightmare come true.
Related: Beloved ‘Elm Street’ Actor Finally Open To Returning in New Reboot
Jamie Lee Curtis
It might seem strange to think of Jamie Lee Curtis playing any other iconic slasher character besides Laurie Strode from seven of the Halloween films, and a female version of Freddy Krueger would feel worlds apart from the one we’ve come to know and fear all these years.
Curtis might be a bit too famous to play a character like Freddy Krueger (although you could make the same argument about most actors on this list), but we’d still like to see it happen.
Juliet Landau
Here’s an actress who’s much less known than anyone on this list. But that’s not to say she doesn’t have a massive cult following. Juliet Landau will forever be known as the vampire Drusilla/Dru from the hit television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997 — 2003).
There’s something deeply unsettling about Dru. Not only is she an evil vampire with no remorse whatsoever, but her disturbing, childlike demeanor is, well, the stuff of nightmares.
Would you like to see a female version of Freddy Krueger in the Elm Street reboot? Do any of these actresses have what it takes? Let us know in the comments down below!