A new poster floating around social media has many worldwide believing that a new Fred series focused on the iconic Freddy Krueger will be released in 2024.
The last anyone has seen from the Nightmare on Elm Street series was the 2010 reboot, which did not earn good reviews. The movie is currently sitting at a 14% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is a Fred Series Really Coming to Max in 2024
A new poster is making its way across the internet, namely on Facebook, that seemingly advertises a new Freddy Krueger series making its to Max from Rob Zombie.
The poster simply shows Freddy’s face with the title of Fred underneath it along with a caption that teases “a chilling journey into the origins of terror:”
“Get ready for a chilling journey into the origins of terror with 'FRED' - a gripping 10-episode event on MAX streaming service this October. Starring DJ Qualls as the titular character himself. Witness the transformation of Fred Krueger from evil man into nightmare slasher in this Wes Craven Studios Production. Directed by Rob Zombie in his television series debut, brace yourself for an unforgettable descent into darkness.”
While there is no Fred series publicly in development under Warner Bros. Discovery (which owns Max), a new Freddy Krueger-focused project has been in the works for some time.
A new reboot movie started being developed by New Line Cinema in the mid-2010s, with seasoned horror film writer David Leslie Johnson (Orphan, Red Riding Hood) penning the script.
The Wrap that the idea was to recast Freddy Krueger with a younger person in the role. The character was first made famous by Robert Englund, with Jackie Earle Haley putting on the clawed glove in 2010.
An update in early 2019 from Johnson (via Gamespot) confirmed that the movie "[was] still happening" but that “nothing [was] percolating just yet.”
The screenwriter admitted that at the time, "The Conjuring universe is sort of first and foremost on [New Line Cinema's] horror burner.” However, he was confident that “everybody wants to see Freddy again,” and the writer feels “it’s inevitable at some point.”
Another big update on the franchise’s situation came in 2019 when Bloody Disgusting reported that the U.S. rights to both the original A Nightmare on Elm Street film and its titular dream horror, Freddy Krueger, were reverted to Wes Craven’s (the filmmaker behind the original movie) estate.
Thankfully, unlike the messy situation with the Friday the 13th rights (whose entire franchise remains mostly in limbo), there doesn't seem to be any third parties getting in the way of further adaptations being created.
In 2019, not long after the Wes Craven estate got the rights to Freddy back, they also started taking in pitches for new movies in the franchise and even possibly a premium streaming series.
But, when this franchise finally returns to the big screen (or small), who exactly could play the horror icon himself?
Fast & Furious actor Sung Kang threw his name in the hat when he spoke to Collider in 2023.
Kang admitted that playing Freddy Krueger one day would "be on the bucket list for sure:"
"I’d love to play Freddy Krueger in 'A Nightmare on Elm Street.' That character was just so fun. Having experience with prosthetic makeup and sitting in the chair for four hours like I did in the 'Obi-Wan' series in Star Wars, that's the only part that I kind of wonder if I have the stamina to sit in the makeup chair for months. But that character was so fun! That sweater, to this day, is so iconic, and the knife fingers. That'd be on the bucket list for sure."
Somebody Call Freddy Krueger Already
It is crazy that Freddy Krueger has been lying dormant for so long—especially with it being nearly fifteen years since the last film.
Hopefully, The Wes Craven Estate can pull itself together and start giving the Freddy fandom (no, not that Freddy) some of the love and attention they want so dearly. If the Friday the 13 franchise (which has been in a brutal legal battle for years) can finally agree to at least a television series, surely the same can be done for Nightmare on Elm Street.
After all, there is somewhat of a power vacuum at the moment. Michael Myers and Ghostface once held the dominant position in the horror market, but both franchises are now sitting in limbo—it’s time for someone to fill that spot.
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