Robert Englund is largely associated with his role as Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. He not only played the role in eight feature films, including a crossover with Friday the 13th, but also two seasons of a television series. As such, he’s a difficult actor to replace, but fans are now praising the newest actor to play Freddy Krueger.
It’s quite surprising to see praise for a new actor. Especially after Jackie Earle Haley infamously took on the role in 2010. His portrayal of the character was met with negative reception by fans, many of whom felt the remake failed to capture what made the earlier series so popular. This new actor, however, seems to have found the sweet spot.
Actor Dave McRae played Freddy Krueger for an unofficial fan film titled Dylan’s New Nightmare. As the title suggests, it follows Miko Hughe’s character from Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, now an adult and once again played by the same actor. It adds a certain layer of authenticity and helps viewers accept McRae’s different yet familiar role as “Neo Freddy Krueger.”
Here are some of the reactions from fans – as well as the fan film itself:
Dylan’s New Nightmare.
What can I say that hasn’t been said already.
This fan film is worthy of a theatrical release.Dave McCrae as Freddy is up there with Robert Englund.
Definitely the second best.
The effects are great, Miko Hughes was great, the kills… Perfection.
10/10 pic.twitter.com/732LbBneuk— T.U.M. Toons (@TheUnkn03706610) August 31, 2023
Just finished Dylan’s New Nightmare and holy shit. @TheVoiceMann killed it as Freddy!! We need more of him ASAP @MikoHughes @HorrorShow666 pic.twitter.com/CJkdlXLeGk
— (@_Movie_Guy_) August 31, 2023
Dylan’s New Nightmare just dropped from @TheVoiceMann and @HorrorShow666. It leaves a lot to be desired, but it was really well done for 40-50K budget, and they were spot on with Freddy. @TrippyCast87, you should check it out. https://t.co/78SyrMaUJB
— SemperReloaded (@SlaughteringIt) August 31, 2023
If Dylan’s New Nightmare isn’t the audition for @TheVoiceMann to become the new Freddy, OFFICIALLY, I don’t know what is. #NightmareonElmStreet, #FreddyKrueger https://t.co/GDaSCJEaZY
— Trev Thom: Cult Classic Corner (@RovertNosmoht) September 2, 2023
Hopefully this proves that a new actor could still play Freddy Krueger and please viewers. It just has to be the right performance and the right script for the job. While Robert Englund‘s Freddy Krueger will no doubt hold the gold standard – there’s certainly plenty of room for new interpretations. Let’s just hope when the studios decide to create an official reboot, they just don’t forget what made the originals work so well.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Elm Street news as we have it. It’s currently unknown when a new film could get underway. Fortunately, this fan film should certainly hold over any fans that are ready for more Freddy.