There are currently two ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ reboots in development. Warner Bros. is working on one, with Lee Cronin having been in talks to write and direct. That project is separate from the Paramount reboot being developed at the same time, and with the blessing of the Craven estate. At one point, according to Dread Central, Parker Finn (“Smile 2”) was also in talks to direct Paramount’s version, although it’s unclear whether he remains in contention now that he has since joined the “Possession” remake, which is about to enter post-production.
All of which is to say, Cronin and Finn aren’t the only genre filmmakers who have their sights set on Freddy Krueger. Jeff Wadlow (“The Devil’s Mouth”) has expressed interest, as has Rob Savage (“Host”). Then there’s Mike Flanagan (“Doctor Sleep”), who claims to have a “killer idea” for a reboot, and, last but certainly not least, Curry Barker (“Obsession”) who recently described the concept as offering “endless potential” and said he would “love to take a crack” at the IP.
That makes six prominent genre filmmakers who have openly expressed interest, and their wildly different sensibilities suggest that handing the franchise to any one of them could result in a radically different take on “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”
So, how about seven? Here’s the wild card: none other than Jane Schoenbrun, acclaimed for “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” who it turns out isn’t merely casually interested, but is actively trying to get a meeting—presumably with Warner Bros., because I simply can’t imagine David Ellison having much interest.
“I’m trying to get a meeting on this Nightmare on Elm Street thing,” Schoenbrun tells ScreenRant . “I would love to do that.”
Beyond the fact that ‘Camp Miasma’ plays like a meta tribute to ‘80s horror slashers, it’s easy to understand why Schoenbrun would want a crack at the franchise. The “I Saw the TV Glow” filmmaker is a lifelong ‘Elm Street’ fan, having recalled renting every ‘Elm Street’ movie in fifth grade, while also citing “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” as one of the major inspirations for ‘Camp Miasma.’
The ‘Elm Street’ reboot has become the center of an unusual rights battle between Paramount and Warner Bros., with both studios separately developing their own ‘Elm Street’ films. The strange situation stems from the franchise’s divided rights: Paramount controls the U.S. rights, while Warner Bros. holds the international rights, allowing both studios to pursue separate versions as their proposed merger remains unresolved. Paramount has the backing of Craven’s estate, with his widow and son producing alongside attorney Marc Toberoff, while Warner Bros. reportedly failed to reach a deal with the estate but is moving forward with its own version regardless.
Both studios are reportedly racing to get their respective projects into production first, believing that doing so could force the other to reconsider or abandon its plans. The result is an exceptionally bizarre situation: two ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ movies potentially being developed simultaneously, with Paramount targeting the U.S. market and Warner Bros. positioned to release internationally.
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