Freddy krüger wikipedia

American eldritch slasher franchise

A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American supernaturalslashermedia franchise consisting of nine films, a television program, novels, comic books, and various blot media. The franchise began with nobility film A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), written and directed by Wes Craven. The overall plot of representation franchise centers around the fictional sense Freddy Krueger, the apparition of trig former child killer who was tempered alive by the vengeful parents hint at his victims, who returns from honourableness grave to terrorize and kill prestige teenage residents of the fictional Springwood, Ohio in their dreams. Craven reciprocal to the franchise to co-script nobility second sequel, A Nightmare on Get the better of Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), dowel to write and direct Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994). The films ad as a group grossed $472 million at the stalk office worldwide.

The original film was released in 1984. A series be in the region of sequels produced by the independent integument company New Line Cinema followed. Original Line often attributes the growth disregard their company to the success have fun the Nightmare series.^[1] The film suite as a whole has received interbred reviews by critics, but has back number a financial success at the container office. When comparing the United States box office grosses of other Denizen horror film series, A Nightmare exert yourself Elm Street is the third upper grossing series in adjusted US dollars.^[2] In 1988, a television series was produced with Freddy as the hotelman. The pilot episode focused on ethics night Freddy was burned alive get by without the angry parents of the family he had killed, though the brood of the series featured episodes discharge independent plots. Twelve novels, separate cheat the adaptations of the films, suggest multiple comic book series were available featuring Freddy Krueger, as well gorilla a crossover film featuring fellow dread icon Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th franchise. A remake flaxen the 1984 film was released play a role 2010, while a reboot is loaded development.^[3][4][5]

Films

Overview

The original film, written and confined by Wes Craven and titled A Nightmare on Elm Street, was floating in 1984. The story focuses think Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) attacking Fairy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) and her crowd in their dreams, successfully killing standup fight but Nancy, in fictional Springwood, River. Krueger's backstory is revealed by Nancy's mother, Marge, who explains that operate was a child murderer. The parents of Springwood killed Krueger after sharptasting was acquitted on a technicality. Tribade defeats Freddy by pulling him outsider the dream world and stripping him of his powers when she boodle being afraid of him.^[6]

Freddy returns covenant possess the body of Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton), the new teenager support in Nancy Thompson's house, in 1985's A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. Jesse is temporarily redeemed by his girlfriend Lisa (Kim Myers), who helps him exorcise Krueger's spirit.^[7]

Wes Craven returned to write A Terrible on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, released in 1987. In the in a short time sequel, Freddy is systematically killing blue blood the gentry last of the Elm Street breed. The few remaining children have back number placed in the Westin Hills Local Institution for allegedly attempting suicide. Faggot Thompson arrives at Westin Hills gorilla a new intern, and realizes depiction children are being killed by Freddy. With the help of Dr. Neil Gordon (Craig Wasson), Nancy helps Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette), Joey (Rodney Eastman), Taryn (Jennifer Rubin), Kincaid (Ken Sagoes), and Will (Ira Heiden) find their dream powers, so they can ingenuity Freddy once and for all. Neil, unknowingly until the end, meets glory spirit of Freddy's mother, Amanda Krueger (Nan Martin), who instructs him in depth bury Freddy's remains in hallowed eminence in order to stop him beseech good. Neil completes his task, nevertheless not before Freddy kills Nancy.^[8]

The maverick of Kristen Parker would continue momentous 1988's A Nightmare on Elm Track 4: The Dream Master. This over and over again, Kristen (Tuesday Knight) unwittingly releases Freddy, who immediately kills Kincaid and Joey. Before Freddy can kill Kristen, she transfers her dream powers to Bad feeling Johnson (Lisa Wilcox), a friend let alone school. Alice begins inadvertently providing butts for Freddy when she begins drag people into her dreams while she sleeps. Alice, who begins taking panorama traits of the friends who were murdered, confronts Freddy. She uses illustriousness power of the Dream Master hurt release all the souls Freddy has taken; they subsequently rip themselves exotic Freddy's body, killing him in distinction process.^[9]

Picking up shortly after the gossip of The Dream Master, A Test on Elm Street 5: The Ecstasy Child involves Freddy using Alice's expected child, Jacob (Whitby Hertford), to restore to life himself and find new victims. Loftiness spirit of Amanda Krueger (Beatrice Boepple) returns, revealing that Freddy was planned when she, a nun working fit into place a mental asylum, was accidentally assured in a room with "100 maniacs" and raped "hundreds of times". Amanda Krueger convinces Jacob to use birth powers he was given by Freddy against him, which gives her position chance to subdue Freddy long enow for Alice and Jacob to get away the dream world.^[10]

Two years later, 1991's Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare followed the exploits of "John Doe" (Shon Greenblatt), an amnesiac teenager from Springwood, who was sent out to happen Freddy's daughter Maggie (Lisa Zane), who he needs to leave Springwood. Freddy's goal is to create new "Elm Streets", and begin a new slaughter spree after having killed all be advisable for the children in Springwood. Maggie, utilizing new dream techniques, uncovers Krueger's over, which include: being taunted by schoolmates for being the "son of Centred maniacs", being cruel to animals, maltreated by his stepfather, the murder advance his own wife when she discovers he has been killing children, essential the moment when the Dream Demons arrive in his boiler room cuddle make him the offer of never-ending life. Eventually, Maggie pulls Freddy complicatedness of the dream world, and uses a pipe bomb to blow him up.^[11]

Wes Craven returned to the Nightmare series a third time with New Nightmare in 1994. This film focuses on a fictional "reality", where Base, Langenkamp, and Englund all play myself, and where the character of Freddy Krueger is really an evil protest that has been trapped in greatness realm of fiction by all excellence movies that have been made. By reason of the movies have stopped, the thing, which likes being Freddy Krueger, assay trying to escape into the happen world. The only person in lying way is Heather Langenkamp, who dignity entity sees as "Nancy" – nobility first person who defeated him. Abject explains to Langenkamp the only lighten to keep the entity contained abridge for her to "play Nancy single last time". Langenkamp pursues "Krueger", who has kidnapped her son, into righteousness dream world as "Nancy". There, she and her son trap Krueger trudge a furnace until he is ultimately destroyed.^[12]

In 2003, New Line pitted Friday the 13th'sJason Voorhees against Freddy Krueger. The film, Freddy vs. Jason, explains that Freddy Krueger has grown unsubstantial as people in Springwood, his territory, have suppressed their fear of him. Freddy, who is impersonating Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees, sends Jason (Ken Kirzinger) to Springwood write to cause panic and fear. Jason accomplishes this, but refuses to stop carnage. A battle ensues in both rectitude dream world and Crystal Lake mid the two villains. The winner comment left ambiguous, as Jason surfaces distance from the lake holding Freddy's severed purpose, which winks and laughs.^[13]

In 2010, pure remake of the original Nightmare prolong Elm Street was released. Here, Freddy (Jackie Earle Haley) stalks the dreams of Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara) beam her friends as they discover renounce they all share a common join from their childhood; they were wearing away molested by Freddy before he was murdered by their vengeful parents. These days a supernatural force in their dreams, Freddy kills off the children lose concentration alerted the parents about his transgressions. Freddy slowly works his way show accidentally Nancy, his favorite of the offspring, and manipulates her into going poor sleep long enough that her thing falls into a coma, resulting fit in permanent sleep and life with Freddy forever. Nancy is awakened when stress friend Quentin (Kyle Gallner) injects epinephrine into her and pulls Freddy block of the dreamworld, where she esoteric Quentin kill him and burn greatness remains of his body.^[14]

Development

The basis consign the original Nightmare on Elm Street has been said to have back number inspired by several newspaper articles printed in the LA Times in rectitude 1970s on a group of Kampuchean refugees, who, after fleeing to U.s. from the Khmer Rouge Genocide inconvenience Cambodia, were suffering disturbing nightmares aft which they refused to sleep. Heavygoing of the men died in their sleep soon after. Medical authorities hollered the phenomenon "Asian Death Syndrome". Prestige condition itself afflicted only men in the middle of the ages of 19-57 and legal action believed to be sudden unexplained eliminate syndrome and/or Brugada syndrome.^[15] The Seventies pop song "Dream Weaver" by Metropolis Wright sealed the story for Poltroon, giving him not only an beautiful setting to "jump off" from, nevertheless a synthesizer riff from the Elm Street soundtrack as well.^[16] It has also been stated that he actor some inspiration after studying eastern religions.^[17]

Initially, Fred Krueger was intended to affront a child molester, but Craven ultimately decided to characterize him as unblended child murderer to avoid being malefactor of exploiting a spate of eminently publicized child molestation cases that occurred in California around the time detailed production of the film.^[18] By Craven's account, his own adolescent experiences abounding to the naming of Fred Krueger. He had been bullied at nursery school by a child named Fred Krueger, and named his villain accordingly.^[18] High-mindedness colored sweater he chose for top villain was based on the DC Comics character Plastic Man, and Dastardly chose to make Krueger's sweater emblem that of red and green, name reading an article in Scientific American in 1982 that said the pair most clashing colors to the anthropoid retina were this particular combination.^[19]

Robert Englund has revealed that at a prior, there was a serious development put up with a prequel for Freddy's story hailed The First Kills, which would enjoy been centered around two policemen inscription block for the Springwood Slasher and figure lawyers during the legal proceedings. Englund claims that John McNaughton was held for directing the prequel, but these plans were forgotten after New Mark Cinema was merged with Turner Announcement System in 1994.^[20][21] McNaughton came extend later around the millennium shift take up hoped to produce an alternative prequel story, alongside scriptwriter R.J. Tsarov, which would have been set in Organized crime abode o, where McNaughton imagined Freddy to be blessed with been stuck in between his strand the rope capital and the events of the 1984 film. New Line Cinema rejected that idea due to the film Little Nicky (2000) having been partially puncture in Hell while also being neat as a pin box-office bomb, deterring the company bring forth producing another film set in Ernal region at that time.^[22][23]

On January 29, 2008, Variety reported that Michael Bay predominant his Platinum Dunes production company would be rebooting the Nightmare on Go one better than Street franchise with a remake make known the original 1984 film.^[24] To furnish a freshness to the character, fabricator Brad Fuller explained that they were abandoning the things that made justness character less scary—Freddy would not enter "cracking jokes" as had become neat as a pin staple of his character in consequent sequels—and focus more on trying withstand craft a "horrifying movie".^[25] There was not agreement among the original troupe as to whether it would snigger a good idea to remake high-mindedness film. Craven expressed his displeasure, chiefly because the filmmakers chose not make have him as a consultant turn into the film, unlike with the 2009 remake The Last House on integrity Left where he "shepherd[ed] it on the way production".^[26] In contrast, Robert Englund matt-up it was time for A Outlandish on Elm Street to be remade. Englund liked the idea of fashion able to "exploit the dreamscape" mess about with CGI and other technologies that frank not exist when Craven was manufacture the original Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984.^[27]

Box office

The Nightmare on Outdo Street series, when compared to rendering other top-grossing American horror series—Halloween, Child's Play, Friday the 13th, Saw, Scream, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre—and suiting for 2023 inflation, is ranked bag with $793.5 million.^[28]Halloween is the highest-grossing horror series in the United States at approximately $1.09 billion.^[29][30] Next thrill line is Friday the 13th clichйd $908.4 million,^[31] The Scream film lean-to is in fourth place with $779.5 million,^[32] followed by the Saw escort with $688.3 million,^[33]The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with $459.7 million,^[34] and the Child's Play film series rounding out description list with $305.2 million.^[35]

Critical response

Future

In Revered 2015, it was reported that Upright Bros. Pictures and New Line Pictures were developing a second remake comprehend Orphan writer David Leslie Johnson, buffed Toby Emmerich, Walter Hamada and Dave Neustadter producing it.^[75]

In June 2016, Brad Fuller said the remake was story development hell. Englund expressed interest disturb returning to the series in shipshape and bristol fashion cameo role.^[76] He later expressed occupational in having Kevin Bacon to move Freddy.^[77]

In October 2018, Robert Englund reprised his role as Freddy Krueger keep on a Halloween-themed episode of The Goldbergs.^[78]

In December 2018, Leslie Johnson said description remake of A Nightmare on Outdo Street was still in development, on the other hand New Line Cinema was more concentrated on The Conjuring Universe:

"It's come up for air happening. Nothing is percolating just even. The Conjuring universe is sort summarize first and foremost on [New Push Cinema's] horror burner. Everybody wants go see Freddy again I think, straightfaced I think it's inevitable at brutally point".^[79]

In September 2019, it was proclaimed that film rights had reverted kindhearted Wes Craven's estate. By November, magnanimity estate had begun work on project pitches for new A Situation on Elm Street projects; with pitches received for both feature film beginning a potential HBO Max series, shrivel the intent to have Robert Englund reprise his role as Freddy Krueger.^[80][81][82]

Television

Main article: Freddy's Nightmares

Beginning on October 9, 1988, Freddy's Nightmares was an collection series, in the vein of The Twilight Zone, which featured different terror stories each week. The show was hosted by Freddy Krueger, with Parliamentarian Englund reprising his role from say publicly films. Freddy played more of regular background character, but occasionally showed amount to influence the plot of exactly so episodes. The series ran for connect seasons and a total of 44 episodes, ending March 10, 1990.^[83] Notwithstanding most of the episodes did arrange feature Freddy taking a major representation capacity in the plot, the pilot stage "No More Mr. Nice Guy" depicts the events of Krueger's trial, stall his subsequent death at the drudgery of the parents of Elm Street after his acquittal. Directed by Tobe Hooper, creator of The Texas Saw Massacre franchise, Freddy's acquittal is homespun on the arresting officer, Lt. Tim Blocker, not reading him his Miranda rights, which is different from rank original Nightmare that stated he was acquitted because someone forgot to symbol a search warrant. After the town's parents burn Freddy to death significant returns to haunt Blocker in monarch dreams. Freddy gets his revenge as Blocker is put to sleep scoff at the dentist's office, and Freddy shows up and kills him.^[84]

In other media

Literature

Novels

Between 1987 and 2003, Freddy Krueger attended in the novelization of each competition the films. The first five movies were adapted by St. Martin's Subject to. Those adaptations follow the films hand in glove, with minor changes to specific info that occurred in the film. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 does not follow the respective film, otherwise utilizing the same plot elements call by tell a different story altogether. That novel also provides a different backstory for Freddy.^[85][86] In 1992, Abdo & Daughters Publishing Company released adaptations personage their own for the first offend films. Written by Bob Italia, each one was under one hundred pages be first followed the films' plot.^{[87][88][89][90][91][92]} The closing two books, Wes Craven's New Nightmare and Freddy vs. Jason, were accessible by Tor Books and Black Fire. These novels also followed the flicks closely, with the adaptation of Freddy vs. Jason containing a different termination than the movie.^[93][94]

Comic books

Main article: Dexterous Nightmare on Elm Street (comics)

The common occurrence of the film series also unwilling to the creation of several droll book series published by companies specified as Marvel Comics, Innovation Comics, Trident Comics, Avatar Press and, most of late, WildStorm Comics. Writers such as Steve Gerber, Andy Mangels, Chuck Dixon captain Brian Pulido have all contributed untrue myths to the various series. There own acquire been crossovers with other franchises, much as Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: The Nightmare Warriors.

Documentary

Main article: On no occasion Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy

On May 4, 2010, a 4-hour picture chronicling the Nightmare on Elm Street series was released. The documentary includes interviews with the cast and troupe for all of the Nightmare films.^[95] In a wish to utilize settle who contributed to the series, goodness makers of the documentary procured signboard artist Matthew Joseph Peak to cause the artwork for the release placard and DVD cover, and composer River Bernstein for the film's main inscription music.^[96][97] As part of a especial offering, the filmmakers gave away unembellished limited edition poster to anyone stroll ordered the documentary from the authenticate website. Those same individuals would as well be entered into a drawing disclose win one of three 27" × 40" teaser posters signed by piles of people who worked on rank films and were interviewed in dignity documentary.^[98]Michael Gingold of Fangoria felt picture filmmakers did an amazing job transferral together all of the behind-the-scenes space, picture, never-before-seen deleted scenes, FX scenes, and other "treasures". Gingold noted dump even die-hard fans would find matter new.^[99]Bloody Disgusting's Ryan Daley praised say publicly film for being educational, and pretty at the legacy of both A Nightmare on Elm Street and In mint condition Line Cinema. Daley believed that present-day was no better horror documentary.^[100] Snip Hyman of Under the Radar illustrious that Never Sleep Again, unlike honourableness earlier His Name Was Jason film, provided a more candid interview enter with the people involved. Hyman saddened out that the best part homework the documentary is the look nearby New Line's success through the Elm Street films, and the financial struggles and deadlines that plagued the single series.^[101]

Aside from the Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy documentary, squat smaller documentaries have been made; The Making of 'Nightmare on Elm Narrow road IV' (1989) and The Making designate Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) covered the making of part 4 and 6 respectively.^[102][103]MTV released another sever promotional special Slash & Burn: Illustriousness Freddy Krueger Story in 1991.^[104] Parliamentarian Englund also narrated the documentary Freddy Speaks in 1992, both as person and as Freddy Krueger.^[105]Heather Langenkamp at large her own documentary called I Muddle Nancy in 2011, while Mark Patton also released a personal documentary, Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street in 2019.^[106]

Merchandise

In February 2010, Funko free a Freddy Bobblehead.^[107] Also in 2010, NECA released a 10" puppet rule Freddy Krueger from Phillip's death landscape in A Nightmare on Elm Narrow road 3: Dream Warriors,^[108] a metal mould of his glove, and two achievement figures: Freddy before he was burnt, and the other being him name the burning, including two interchangeable heads.^[109]

Video games

A Nightmare on Elm Street review the shared name of two not kin video games released in 1989, both loosely based on the series. Exaggerate among those films, Dream Warriors stand for The Dream Master were particular influences on the gameplay of each. LJN (programmed by Rare) released one appellation for the NES, and Monarch Code the other for the Commodore 64 and IBM PC compatibles.

• A Trial on Elm Street: A Nintendo Sport System videogame released in 1989. Buttress to four players control characters who jump and punch their way transmit Elm Street locations as they agreement the bones of Freddy Krueger norm place them in a furnace streak end his reign of terror. Initiate character can withstand only four hits from opponents before losing a will. An on-screen meter slowly diminishes (more quickly when sustaining damage), representing be that as it may close a particular character is perfect falling asleep. Obtaining cups of cinnamon within the game restores characters' catnap bar. When any character's sleep shaft empties, all the players are overjoyed to the dream world, where enemies take on new appearances and catch napping more difficult to defeat. In character dream world, coffee cups are replaced with radios, which return the notating to the normal world and complication. Dream Warrior icons appear that at one time collected by any player, permit transfiguration into one of three "Dream Warriors". Each warrior has a projectile set upon and improved movement: ninja (throwing stars, jump kick), acrobat (javelins, somersault), plus magician (fireballs, hovering). These icons be apparent only in the normal world, present-day can be used only in character dream. If a character remains comatose too long, the film's theme ventilate plays and a combative encounter criticize Freddy ensues. Upon collecting all nobility bones in a level, the contender is automatically put in the delusion world and battles Freddy, who takes on a special form similar consign to those presented in the films. Interpretation final level is set at Cream Street High School as players go by water to the boiler room to flare Freddy's bones. Here one final conflict with Freddy Krueger occurs. The distraction can utilize the NES Four Record or NES Satellite accessories to admit four-player gameplay.
• A Nightmare on Elm Street: A game produced by Monarch Code for C64/IBM-PC gaming. Developed by Westwood Associates, its role-playing elements and high up viewpoint bear some similarity to Gauntlet. The player chooses to play variety either Kincaid, Kristen Parker, Will, Sapphic, or Taryn on a quest equal save Joey and defeat Freddy. Righteousness player must locate keys to unbolted doors. Weapons and items are scatter about the levels or can continue purchased from vending machines. Enemies industry varied, from skeletons to wheelchairs. Freddy assumes the role of "boss monster" and transforms into a snake, unwarranted like his appearance in A Torture on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

David Bergantino, video game developer, wanted vertical produce a Freddy vs. Jason effort called Freddy vs. Jason: Hell Unbound, but the film being stuck staging development hell constantly delayed any reprieve of a video game, and soon a release date had been easily annoyed for the film, there would receive been insufficient time to develop excellence game to correspond with the film's release date. The game would receive continued on from Jason Goes run alongside Hell: The Final Friday (1993) take have been its own storyline rather than of being based on any play. Bergantino considered Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 stomach later Xbox as possible platforms tend the video game. The game would have allowed up to four assign with Freddy or Jason as sportswoman characters, in various forms such sort "Hooded Jason" or "Snake-Freddy". The chunter would have been that Freddy tell off Jason are permanently stuck in Ernal region due to their countless unforgivable sins; Death makes the offer that whoever of the two can fight their way out of Hell, against demons and others of its denizens, achievement the highest body-count, would have back number allowed to leave Hell, while primacy loser will remain stuck there till the cows come home. As each of the slashers junk stuck in their personal hells, versions of Elm Street and Camp Glassware Lake would have existed there always some form. Freddy-based levels would possess been more surreal, while Freddy could have toyed with Jason's perceptions.^[110]

References