Freddy Krueger is coming for you in your dreams, and apparently, in two separate movies from two competing studios.
How Did We Get Here?
Paramount recently closed a deal for the US domestic rights to adapt the original A Nightmare on Elm Street screenplay, under its new genre label Paramount Primal. The domestic rights were licensed from the Wes Craven estate, which includes Craven’s widow Iya Labunka and son Jonathan Craven, who regained ownership of the original 1984 screenplay through copyright law, which allows authors to reclaim rights 35 years after publication. Marc Toberoff, the attorney who helped the estate regain those rights, will produce alongside Labunka and Jonathan Craven.
Warner Bros., however, continues to hold the international rights to the property, creating an unusual situation where neither studio has complete worldwide control.
Warner Bros. Didn’t Take It Well
Warner Bros. film chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy were reportedly unhappy with Paramount’s plans. Sources say Paramount assumed that by the time their remake was ready, the pending Paramount-Warner Bros. merger would have closed, meaning Warner Bros. would simply distribute the Paramount version overseas. De Luca and Abdy didn’t go for that. Instead, they moved to develop their own competing version.
Warner Bros. is now in talks with Lee Cronin, director of Evil Dead Rise and Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, to write, direct, and produce their version. Cronin also executive produced Evil Dead Burn and will executive produce Evil Dead Wrath. Meanwhile, Paramount has yet to attach any filmmaker to theirs and is currently meeting with directors.
Two Very Different Films
Paramount’s agreement limits them to producing a shot-for-shot remake of the original 1984 film, domestically only. Warner Bros., by contrast, is pursuing a fresh reimagining under Cronin, with a more distinct creative vision, for international release only. In other words: Paramount gets Freddy in the US, Warner Bros. gets Freddy everywhere else.
Both studios believe getting into production first could force the other to back down. Paramount is confident a modest US-only release could gross at least $70 million domestically. Warner Bros. executives, meanwhile, question the commercial appeal of a near-identical remake.
The Bottom Line
This is either the most exciting thing to happen to the Elm Street franchise in decades, or a corporate nightmare that buries Freddy under legal chaos before a single frame is shot. The Wes Craven estate’s involvement gives Paramount credibility with longtime fans. Lee Cronin’s attachment gives Warner Bros. genuine horror pedigree. Neither film has a confirmed cast, release date, or greenlight, yet.
One thing is certain though, Freddy Krueger has never caused this much trouble while still asleep.
