Boy howdy, you wouldn’t believe how complicated copyrights are. For some reason, the world of horror is filled with copyright disputes. We’ve covered legal suits about the mask from Scream and the ownership of Friday the 13th. Even the rights to Tremors was a complicated mess we covered. Compared to all that, the issue around A Nightmare on Elm Street is relatively tame! It still involved a fight for rights, but now the family of the original writer/director has them back. What’s more, they’re planning on using them!
The Late Wes Craven
It’s been 11 years since the passing of horror legend, Wes Craven. He’s the man who originally brought us A Nightmare on Elm Street and directed Scream. His legacy has lived on in his work and contributions to cinema. One thing out of reach from his estate though, was the screenplay to the aforementioned Elm Street. Due to copyright laws however, his widow Iya Labunka and son, Jonathan Craven finally have them back. With some help from copyright lawyer Marc Toberoff, the story and characters can be used again for their own projects.
Labunka recently stated, “We look forward to bringing the world of Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street to a new and completely engaged generation of fans.” A reboot of A Nightmare on Elm Street had been done back in 2010, but Craven was not involved in it. This time around, a reboot of the film will be in the hands of his family as well as J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules. They’ll be heading up the new Paramount Primal division of Paramount Skydance.
The Future is Wide Open
With the project being just recently announced, we don’t have any casting or release date news. Freddy Krueger remains one of the biggest villains in the pantheon of horror films. His original portrayal by Robert Englund is legendary for a reason. Jackie Earle Haley took up the role in the 2010 reboot. Whoever picks up the gloves and fedora from here is going to have some tough shoes to fill. Well, gloves and hat really. Freddy was never really known for his shoes.
Anyway, as more information becomes available, we’ll be sure to send it your way. In reality though, not in your nightmares. That’s Freddy’s realm.
