"Nightmare" relaunch lands scribe

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Freddy Krueger is coming back to haunt the big screen. New Line Cinema has hired veteran scribe Wesley Strick ("Arachnophobia," "Cape Fear") to help relaunch the "Nightmare on Elm Street" franchise.

The original "Nightmare" was written and directed by Wes Craven and released in 1984. It created one of the most popular villains in screen history, Freddy Krueger, played by Robert Englund, and its runaway success spawned a slew of sequels.

The films' premise centered on Krueger, a serial child killer murdered who returns with a burned face and razor glove to terrorize teens in their dreams.

The new project will keep the high school setting and delve deeper in the psychology of nightmares and Krueger himself. The plan is to have a dark tone. The company hopes to have the movie ready for the 25th anniversary of the original.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter