A Nightmare on Elm Street: Samara Weaving wants to star in the next film

Samara Weaving has earned modern scream queen (or genre icon, if you prefer) status with roles in films like The Babysitter, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Mayhem, Ready or Not, Scream VI, and the upcoming horror action movie Azrael, plus a few episodes of the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series. Since Weaving has worked in both the Scream and Evil Dead franchises, she was asked during a new interview with Collider which horror franchise she would like to be a part of next. Her answer: Nightmare on Elm Street.

The filmmakers behind Azrael had originally wanted to cast Billie Eilish in the role Weaving ended up playing. So when she was asked the horror franchise question, she said, “Nightmare on Elm Street. I can do it. Unless Billie Eilish gets it now.“

Weaving might be waiting a while to get her chance to visit Elm Street, because that is one horror franchise that doesn’t have anything going on with it right now. There are Friday the 13th and Halloween TV shows in the works, there’s another Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie coming our way, but there hasn’t been a Nightmare on Elm Street movie since 2010 and it doesn’t look like one will be going into production any time soon.

That’s not due to a lack of interest in the property. Kevin Bacon, Devon Sawa, and Sung Kang have all said they’d be interested in replacing Robert Englund (and Jackie Earle Haley) in the role of Freddy Krueger. Back in September of 2019, we heard Wes Craven’s estate had secured the rights to the Elm Street franchise. In November of that year, it was said that they were actively taking pitches. But apparently the rights issue isn’t as clear-cut as it appeared to be. Mike Flanagan has let it be known that he has an idea for a new movie in mind, but his agent can’t figure out who to have him pitch it to. Elijah Wood and his SpectreVision producing partner Daniel Noah have said they want to make an Elm Street movie and have “been in touch with the rights holders many times,” but that hasn’t gone anywhere. Blumhouse founder Jason Blum has said he’s interested in going to Elm Street. Guy Busick, co-writer of Scream 2022 and Scream VI, wants to write Elm Street and Friday the 13th movies… But there’s no sign of a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie going forward. The Elm Street franchise seems to be trapped in limbo.

Would you like to see Samara Weaving go to battle with Freddy Krueger in a future Nightmare on Elm Street movie? Share your thoughts on this idea by leaving a comment below.