It's been three years since we heard that New Line Cinema had hired ORPHAN screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick to script a second attempt at rebooting the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise after the poorly received 2010 remake. Since then Johnson-McGoldrick has earned writing credits on THE CONJURING 2, AQUAMAN, and eight episodes of The Walking Dead. He also became a consulting producer on The Walking Dead, wrote the upcoming THE CONJURING 3, and is working on a new version of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS… But there has been no indication that the ELM STREET reboot is moving forward.
While speaking to GameSpot about AQUAMAN, Johnson-McGoldrick was positive that the new ELM STREET will make it to the screen someday – although New Line is focused on expanding the Conjuring Universe right now, so it's likely to be a while longer before the reboot goes into production.
Johnson-McGoldrick said,
(The reboot is) still happening. Nothing is percolating just yet, the Conjuring Universe is sort of first and foremost on their horror burner. Everybody wants to see Freddy again I think, so I think it's inevitable at some point."
If I were a New Line exec, I would have been pushing to fast track a new ELM STREET movie after Robert Englund said he thinks he has it in him to play Freddy one more time, and ELM STREET heroine Heather Langenkamp said she's waiting to be asked to face off with Freddy again after Jamie Lee Curtis's return to the HALLOWEEN franchise proved to be so successful… But they don't seem to be interested in getting a Englund vs. Langenkamp ELM STREET movie together any time soon.