One way or another, a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie is coming. Last we heard, both Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. were working on their own separate reboots, as the rights situation is tricky—although if the proposed WB/Paramount merger goes through, the point will be moot. Whatever the case, the one that seems like it has the inside track is the Paramount project, which is set to use Wes Craven’s original screenplay, which has been licensed from the Craven estate by the studio’s new genre label, Paramount Primal. So, who will helm the reboot?
One acclaimed director throwing their hat into the ring is Jane Schoenbrun, who is riding high off the success of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. The film is still only playing in limited release, but last weekend its per-screen average was actually higher than Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s, with it earning $16,494 per screen for a solid $890K weekend on only 54 screens. The movie is a nostalgic nod to eighties slasher movies, with A Nightmare on Elm Street being the absolute pinnacle of the genre. That aspect has not been lost on Schoenbrun, who told ScreenRant, “I’m trying to get a meeting on this Nightmare on Elm Street thing,” adding, “I would love to do that.”
Many fans are thinking this is a great idea, with Schoenbrun’s profile having risen steadily in recent years. Prior to Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow was an arthouse hit. Schoenbrun’s movies have scored with critics, but A Nightmare on Elm Street could be a crossover hit for the director, with the dreamlike nature of Miasma and I Saw the TV Glow a natural fit for a movie that largely takes place in a dream world as Freddy hunts his victims.
Do you think Jane Schoenbrun could nail A Nightmare on Elm Street? Let us know in the comments.
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