Evil Dead Burn might be the nastiest and goriest entry in the famous horror series yet. It’s certainly not a recommended watch if you have just eaten and feel queasy about seeing a lot of blood, guts, and stomach-churning deaths onscreen. Arguably, the standout performer in this sinister spectacle is New Zealand actor Erroll Shand who plays the patriarch of the family, Edgar Price.
Shand’s filmography has been mostly limited to Australian and New Zealand productions, but his agent is likely to be fielding more calls after his sensational turn in Evil Dead Burn. In GamesRadar+’s four-star review of the film, Shand’s performance as Edgar was singled out for specific praise, with critic Brad Hanson writing, “Erroll Shand’s menacing performance dominates the screen, his volatility only exacerbated by his Deadite possession.”
But could another role in a famous horror franchise be on the horizon for Shand? Some fans think so, as his name has come up as a possible contender to play Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot.
Speaking to Reel Appreciation, Shand addressed the fan castings, fan art, and his overall opinion about playing Freddy. “Look, I’m very flattered, and I too see the similarities there oddly enough,” he said. “But everyone that’s reached out – because there have been many – and there’s been a lot of fan art and there’s been a lot of people going, ‘Hey, my vote’s for you.’ I’d love to. It’d be amazing.”
Shand added how he grew up with Freddy as an iconic horror figure in his life, and much like being in an Evil Dead movie, he would welcome the chance to put on the sweater, hat, and sharp claws to terrorize the teenagers of Elm Street. “To be able to step into the shoes of Freddy would be pretty amazing and right up my alley,” he added.
Well, Shand may get the opportunity soon enough. In July, news broke that there’s A Nightmare on Elm Street remake happening at Paramount Pictures. It isn’t the first attempt at a reboot, since there was a film made in 2010 with Jackie Earle Haley cast as Freddy; however, that didn’t do too well nor did it inspire the audience. Consequently, there will be a lot of pressure on this film to get it right.
Of course, there’s still the age-old debate: can anyone actually replace Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger? He’s become synonymous with the role, and it’s practically impossible to imagine anyone else nailing the fiendish part quite like he did.
Yet Erroll Shand might just be the person to pull it off. When Edgar Price breaks bad in Evil Dead Burn, it’s easy to see the similarities to Freddy. It’s probably also good that he doesn’t have a lot of baggage as a mainstream actor whereby the audience rejects him outright based on something else he did. Maybe – just maybe – we have found the right person to play Freddy Krueger again.
Watch the full interview below.
