WhenWes Cravenfirst penned the screenplay for 1984’sA Nightmare on Elm Street,he wanted to give it a happy ending. Luckily, the film’s producer,Bob Shaye,pushed back, and, voilà, audiences were left with one of the most entertaining jump scares in cinematic history and a franchise that would span a total of eight movies and one remake (so far). Over the years, the film series has seen a rotating door of directors likeRenny Harlin(Cliffhanger) andRachel Talalay(Tank Girl) put their own spin onthe character made famous by Robert Englund, with Craven even returning for 1994’sWes Craven’s New Nightmare— giving Freddy Kruegerthe meta touchthat the late director was famous for.
This weekend at CCXP Mexico City, Collider’sSteve Weintraubmoderated aDirectors on Directing panelwhich gave some of the best filmmakers in the biz an opportunity to answer questions from their peers and fans. Tossing a query toJon Watts(Spider-Man: No Way Home),The Fall Guy’sDavid Leitch, asked his fellow filmmaker“If you could take on any IP, why would you do it? What would it be?”Perhaps best known for his work on thelatest trilogy ofSpider-Manfilmsled byTom Holland, Watts said that he’s ready to get back to his first love — horror.
Admitting that he doesn’t have any interest in already formed material, Watts first responded,“I don’t want to take on IP, I wanna come up with my own original ideas.”But, it didn’t take the director long to jump on what hewoulddo if given the chance.
“OrNightmare on Elm Street. I loveNightmare on Elm Street. I thinkNightmare on Elm Streetis so cool, and I thinkyou could keep makingNightmare on Elm Streetforever.”
How Serious Is John Watts About ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’?
Putting it out into the universe is one thing, but would Watts actually pick up the torch and carry onthe beloved slasher franchise? Here’s what he had to say:
“I would really, really have to think about it.I loveNightmare on Elm Street. I think it’s so, they’re so great. I love those movies. Why aren’t there more of them?”
We’d guess that there aren’t more of them because Warner Bros. is likely waiting for the perfect director to step up to the challenge ofbacking the next chapter. Although he might seem torn about the idea, Watts would be an incredibly on-point fit to carry on Craven’s legacy, and we’re manifesting right along with him.
you may stream the originalA Nightmare on Elm Streetnow on Netflix and check back for more CCXP coverage.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.
