Credit: New Line CinemaRobert Englund will forever be synonymous with the character Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street series. Debuting in Wes Craven’s original 1984 slasher classic, Englund would reprise his role as the “dream demon” in five direct sequels, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994), the crossover movie Freddy vs. Jason (2003), and a live-action television series.
However, the horror icon has long turned in his fedora, striped sweater, and razor-fingered glove.
Still, that hasn’t stopped Englund from handpicking actors he’d like to see take up the mantle. He also continues to work within the genre, most recently appearing in Stranger Things Season 4 as Victor Creel, father of Henry Creel, the disturbed telekinetic teen who goes on to become the Upside Down’s “dark wizard” Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
Vecna himself is hugely inspired by Freddy Krueger, with Season 4 also sharing many similarities with the Elm Street series.
In recent years, Englund has also said he’d like to see Elm Street continue in an animated capacity so that he could return to lend his voice to the character. While his next project isn’t part of that franchise, it is animated and it is horror. And he’s also no stranger.
Englund is set to return to the world of Hawkins and the Upside Down, but as a completely different character.
The upcoming 3D animated spinoff series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the main Netflix series, and brings back all the main characters including Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max (voiced by an entirely new cast).
Recently, the second official trailer for the series premiered, giving us a closer look at the new animation style, the overall tone, and, of course, terrifying new Upside Down monsters:
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Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 doesn’t feature any of the actors from the live-action Netflix series. Instead, it has a new voice cast that includes Brett Gipson (Jim Hopper), Luca Diaz (Mike Wheeler), Brooklyn Davey Norstedt (Eleven), Braxton Quinney (Dustin Henderson), Elisha Williams (Lucas Sinclair), Ben Plessala (Will Byers), Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (Max Mayfield), Jeremy Jordan (Steve Harrington), and Odessa A’zion (Nikki Baxter).
Now, more cast members have been confirmed: Janeane Garofalo (Anna Baxter), Lou Diamond Phillips (Daniel Fischer), Alysia Reiner (Karen Wheeler), Alessandra Antonelli (Nancy Wheeler), Valeria Rodriguez (Rosario), Jack Griffo (Jeff), and Robert Englund (Cosmo). Nothing is known about Englund’s new character, however, the new trailer does pay homage to the legendary horror icon by featuring a Freddy Krueger cardboard cutout.
“In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days,” the official synopsis for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 reads.
“But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this new story set in the Stranger Things universe.”
The series will premiere on Netflix on April 23. The first two episodes will also be screened in select U.S. theaters on April 18, five days before the series launches globally on the streaming service. The double-bill preview is expected to have a total runtime of about 55 minutes.
Are you excited to see Robert Englund back in Stranger Things? What do you think of the new trailer? Let us know in the comments!