The Only Hollywood Star Who Can Replace Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger

‘One, two Freddy’s coming for you!’ The spine-chilling nursery rhyme from the iconic A Nightmare on Elm Street films still gives me the creeps even after all these years. Starring the legendary Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger, the malevolent ghost of a child killer, and directed by the incomparable Wes Craven, A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of the greatest and best horror franchises ever. It’s high time for another entry in the series, and Andy Serkis would be perfect as the new Freddy Krueger.

Why A New Nightmare on Elm Street Movie Needs to Happen Now

The last film in the series was way back in 2010 when a reboot starring Jackie Earle Haley was released to low ratings but had a decent box office of $117.7 million. Although $250-$300 million would have been better, the film’s moderate success proved that fans have an unsatiable desire for more A Nightmare on Elm Street movies. The reboot lacked the original’s humour, stuck too closely to the original’s plot, and ultimately offered up an inferior replica. 

This time, we need a sequel that does not make the same mistake of sticking too closely to the original yet still retains the signature tone and style of the original.

Why the 2010 Nightmare on Elm Street Reboot Failed Fans

Reflecting on the lacklustre critical reception to the reboot, Robert Englund gave his take and told Variety: “[Freddy Krueger actor Jackie Earle Haley’s] just so good, a wonderful actor, so I don’t think it was that. “I’ve always thought that Freddy is described as a child killer. So when they made Freddy a child molester [in the remake], that’s not what Freddy is, I don’t think. By taking it to such a dark place, there’s no room for the personality of Freddy to be exploited.”

Englund may be onto something here. The remake’s story was too dark, and revising Freddy as a paedophile was a mistake that should be rectified in a new film. Andy is the right actor to exploit Freddy’s sinister persona but can also give Freddy a sense of fun (bizarre, but that’s why we like the character). Freddy taunted his victims and got a thrill out of hunting them. Serkis has an excellent range and can be severe and funny all at the same, which is what the character needs once again. 

How Freddy Krueger’s Dark Humor Made Him a Horror Icon

Mixing humour with evil and villainry is nothing new to Andy, who showed his comedic timing alongside Simon Pegg in 2010’s black comedy Burke and Hare, wherein they star side by side as Victorian-era grave robbers who will do anything to make a buck. However, the quintessential character that shows Serkis can blend humour and evil is Ulysses Klaue, Andy’s role, which he performed so consummately in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Black Panther (2018). 

Andy makes Klaue one of the best characters in the MCU, veering between being weasely, vindictive, evil, and funny. It’s a shame we never saw more of Andy as Klaue; he lit up every scene as the greedy, thieving arms dealer. They seem entirely unrelated, but Klaue and Freddy’s persona have much in common, and Andy could easily segue from one to the other.

What Makes Freddy Krueger One of Horror’s Most Loved Villains 

This child killer is on a rampage, stomping through your nightmares, hunting you down, wanting to rip your guts out! Talk about being one twisted, evil psychopath, yet we love him. Freddy symbolizes the boogyman, which all children are afraid of. According to Wes Craven, Freddy represents the worst of parenthood and adulthood, the dirty old man and the nasty father. 

Freddy’s character is like that dirty drunk uncle who teases and makes fun of you, only this time, it comes with a deadly twist. In this case, the creepy old man/drunk uncle is a demon-possessed ghost out to get you. His paternal qualities familiarise Freddy and tap into our psyche, helping us identify and connect with the character. His evil actions are wrong, but we are also drawn to the character because he’s funny. This juxtaposition of a funny serial killer makes Freddy the classic villain we’ve all grown to love. 

Andy Serkis’ Acting Range Proves He Can Reinvent Freddy Krueger

Andy Serkis, known for his brilliant motion capture performance of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and his work as Caesar in the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, is one of his generation’s most talented and exciting actors. Despite his remarkable talent, Andy is not a household name and deserves far more praise and admiration in Hollywood and amongst film audiences. His performance as Gollum was so nuanced and captivating that it’s a tragedy his portrayal never received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 

Despite using motion capture, which can make acting much more complicated and cumbersome, Serkis still conveyed various emotions and feelings playing a digital character like Gollum. With such depth and gravity, Serkis can completely embody his roles, whether as Caesar, Kong in King Kong or Gollum, mimicking and becoming almost one with the character. A character like Gollum is very complex, moving sharply between jovial, sad, evil and angry in a heartbeat. Few actors have the talent and skill to pull off such a complicated role, and Andy was one of them. 

Why Andy Serkis Could Be the Perfect New Freddy Krueger

Andy’s ability to express Gollum’s evil nature, made far more twisted and malevolent by the Ring of Power in his possession, also gives us a sense of how the actor could pull off starring as Freddy. Andy Serkis’ impeccable facial acting and ability to use his body to manifest the darkness within Gollum could make his Freddy Krueger almost as great as Robert Englund’s. Wes Craven initially envisioned Freddy as significant in stature, similar to Jason from Friday the 13th. Still, Robert Englund, who is smaller, convinced Craven to go with his take on the character instead. 

Englund based Freddy on the child molesters and abusers everyone reads about in the papers. These fiends aren’t usually big and hulking but smaller in stature, rat and weasel-like. This type of framework for Freddy would be right up Andy’s alley. Performing as Gollum, Andy exhibited traits similar to those Englund was interested in. As Freddy Krueger, Andy Serkis would be able to be evil and menacing, using his tremendous ability to convey emotion and evil with his face and body to bring a new Freddy to life.

Can Andy Serkis Outdo Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger?

Robert Englund was surprisingly funny when portraying Freddy, often mocking his victims, and his sardonic laugh is a signature element of the character, which should be no problem for Andy, who can morph and shape-shift into whatever mode his characters require. It would be great to see Andy give his take on the character. Even if Serkis never stars as Freddy, let’s hold thumbs that New Line Cinema can drag the franchise out of development hell and find time in between their Conjuring Universe to greenlight a new film that will make  A Nightmare of Elm Street fresh, scary, and fun once more.

What do you think about Andy Serkis as Freddy Krueger? Here are more picks for a Nightmare on Elm Street reboot.