A Nightmare On Elm Street returns with Wes Craven's family on board

Paramount Pictures has announced plans for a new A Nightmare On Elm Street film.

The studio has secured a deal for the US rights to the original screenplay of Wes Craven's 1984 horror classic, which featured introduced the world to iconic movie monster Freddy Krueger.

Craven's widow Iya Labunka, who will produced alongside his son Jonathan Craven, said in a statement: “We look forward to bringing the world of Wes Craven’s Nightmare on Elm Street to a new and completely engaged generation of fans.

“We know that Wes would have been thrilled to see how horror is taking its long overdue place in the cultural canon.

"We can’t wait for all of us to sit together in a dark theatre – around the campfire of today – as the next chapter of the Nightmare story unfolds.”

J.D. Lifshitz and Rachael Margules will produce on behalf of the new Paramount Primal label.

They added: "We can’t remember a time before we were fans of Wes Craven.

"The fact that Iya and Jonathan have entrusted us with this opportunity to help usher a new story into this world is an honour beyond words.

"We look forward to working alongside them to bring a terrifying new nightmare to audiences everywhere, and to welcome Freddy home.”

The rights were previously owned by New Line Cinema - and later Warner Bros - as the company was behind the original 1984 movie.

The film starred Robert Englund as child killer Krueger, who was burned alive by the children's parents.

Sporting a metal-claw glove, red and green sweater, fedora and burned face, he returned via teenagers' dreams.

The classic spawned seven sequels and a 2010 reboot, plus comic books.

Craven's estate regained the rights to the screenplay in 2019.

No further details have been made available in terms of casting or plot, but The Hollywood Reporter noted the project is "set in the world of A Nightmare on Elm Street, based on the original screenplay".

Englund, who played the hellish antagonist from the horror franchise’s debut in 1984 until the Freddy vs. Jason spin-off in 2003, previously claimed his time as the villain is at an end.

Back in 2024, the 79-year-old actor told Bloody Disgusting: "I mean, there might be some gimmick thing we could do with a close-up or something, but no, I can’t play him anymore. I’m too old.

"But no, there’s no Freddy left in me."

The actor did suggest he could possibly reprise his role in a "high-end, animated version" of the picture and added that the main reason he didn't think another live-action film would work was because his age would prevent him from performing physically-demanding sequences.

He said: "I could possibly voice a really high-end, animated version. That would be nice to be asked to do, but I know I can’t do the fight scenes more than one take now, one angle. I just can’t be snapping my head or anything like that. I’m an old dog! Give me a break."