Though it has been years since a new installment of A Nightmare On Elm Street, one franchise veteran has big ideas about how the series could continue, including enlisting Jim Carrey as the iconic Freddy Krueger. Chuck Russell, who directed A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, suggested he would be open to casting the award-winning actor after collaborating with him on The Mask in 1994.
In a recent interview, the director stated: “Jim, in my opinion, could almost do anything if he put his heart into it.” However, to recruit Carrey, Russell noted that the project would have to be a fresh take. He explained:
For Jim to do it, we’d have to do something that was another leap in the Elm Street series — a little bit like what Wes did with his very meta New Nightmare. I think Jim would only consider it, and I’d only consider harnessing Jim, if there was a bold new direction for Elm Street.
Despite previously retiring, Carrey returned to film with the fan-favorite Sonic the Hedgehog series and is rumored to star as George Jetson in a reboot of the classic Hanna-Barbera show, The Jetsons. He has a long history of comedic and serious roles, as well as being very committed to his performances. The actor has been vocal about being selective in what roles he will take after his comeback, though that doesn’t rule out the possibility of casting him as Freddy.
Previously, Freddy was portrayed by two actors, Robert Englund and Jackie Earle Haley. The latter only played the dream demon in the 2010 remake, while Englund has portrayed the character in every other A Nightmare On Elm Street film and in various other media appearances. His twisted-yet-comical portrayal is often cited as what made Freddy stand out in the crowded slasher genre, and Englund is a huge favorite among horror fans.
Citing age as his primary reason, Englund has retired the role, stating:
There’s no Freddy left in me. I could possibly voice a really high-end, animated version. That would be nice to be asked to do, but I know I can’t do the fight scenes more than one take now, one angle. I just can’t be snapping my head or anything like that. I’m an old dog! Give me a break.
Unless the series returns in an animated format, Englund has made it clear he is uninterested. As such, speculation as to who could play Freddy next is a hot topic among fans.
Though Russell felt Carrey would be a great choice for the iconic slasher, the director, like Englund does have some conditions to return. Chiefly, he would “love to do another Elm Street if there was the full support of everybody.” Series creator Wes Craven sadly passed away in 2015, but some of the original and Dream Warriors cast members remain alive, well, and interested.
“Patricia Arquette has said she’d like to do it again in the press,” Russell said. “Very interesting, because she didn’t talk about it a lot earlier in her career. She was so terrific and went on to have such a great career — I think that’s a good idea too.” The director continued by adding that Englund”for [him], is the only Freddy.”
“Were I to be involved in a new Elm Street, A, I’d be delighted, and B, my first goal would be to get [Englund] involved,” he concluded. With all of these casting variables and Russell’s hopes to lure Englund out of retirement, the idea of Carrey and The Mask’s director teaming up on a new A Nightmare on Elm Street flick might be dead on arrival. This is especially true with the film rights split between Craven’s estate and New Line Cinema; however, Freddy has come back before—who’s to say he can’t do it again?