The metal-clawed, heavily disfigured child killer Freddy Krueger became a pop culture icon and legendary horror villain when he first made his spectacular debut in Wes Craven’s 1984 masterpiece A Nightmare on Elm Street. The unforgettable antagonist was gloriously portrayed by Robert Englund in eight spine-tingling installments in the chilling franchise and was created by a master of horror himself, Wes Craven.
While moviegoers everywhere have come to know and love Englund as the demented Krueger, he was not actually the trailblazing filmmaker’s first choice to star as the undead murderer who stalks his victims in their dreams. English stage and screen star David Warner was originally chosen to tackle the hefty role, but in an unfortunate turn of events, was forced to walk away from the project, thus paving the way for Englund’s scene-stealing performance as the malevolent character. Let’s explore the casting history of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Wes Craven’s Spine-Tingling Horror Icon
Horror pioneer and filmmaking mastermind Wes Craven was one of the silver screen’s most prolific and trailblazing directors, having introduced audiences all across the world to some of the hair-raising genres greatest villains and a slew of unforgettable slashers. He became one of Hollywood’s reigning Kings of Horror when he helmed the 1984 groundbreaking classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, a supernatural hit that instilled insomnia and terror within brave moviegoers as they watched the grotesque, metal-clawed child killer Freddy Krueger terrorize and murder helpless victims in their dreams.
Craven based many of the elements and themes from A Nightmare on Elm Street on his own childhood and personal memories and was compelled to create the iconic Freddy Krueger on an impactful experience from his youth. When the director was 12, he saw a disfigured homeless man walking towards him outside his home, prompting Craven to become frightened as the stranger swiftly walked away in the other direction. Craven was also inspired by a series of mysterious deaths that made headlines in the Los Angeles Times in the 1970s, with all the victims having claimed they had recurring nightmares before they died in their sleep.
Freddy Krueger’s signature look was based on Klaus Kinski’s appearance as Count Dracula in Nosferatu the Vampyre, in addition to films featuring Lon Chaney, and Craven wanted to go against what was popular at the time and not have the legendary villain wear a traditional mask and yield a knife as a weapon. In a 2014 interview with Vulture, the decorated director strove to pave a new path for horror antagonists and do something completely different within the genre, telling the publication:
“A lot of the killers were wearing masks: Leatherface, Michael Myers, Jason. I wanted my villain to have a mask, but be able to talk and taunt and threaten. So I thought of him being burned and scarred…So I thought, ‘How about a glove with steak knives?’ I gave the idea to our special effects guy, Jim Doyle.”
David Warner Almost Starred as the Legendary Villain
Finding an actor capable of emoting through all the heavy makeup and prosthetics was no easy task for Craven, and despite the great Robert Englund becoming synonymous with the chilling character, he was not the first choice to headline A Nightmare on Elm Street. British film and stage star David Warner was actually cast as Freddy Krueger, having first risen to prominence with roles in Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment, The Omen, Time After Time, and A Christmas Carol. Craven revealed in the 2010 documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy that he felt Warner was the perfect person to bring the iconic villain to life.
Craven was likely intrigued to pursue Warner for the character due to his famously lanky and haggard appearance, and the Shakespearean-trained actor had already had experience in the world of horror after starring in The Omen and portraying notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper in Time After Time. Though Warner was ultimately forced to drop out from starring in the slasher classic due to scheduling conflicts, he did participate in makeup tests as Freddy Krueger, which provided fans with a glimpse of what could have been for the hit film.
Kane Hodder (who would notably star as fellow slasher villain Jason Vorhees) was considered to take over as Krueger, but Craven was blown away by Robert Englund’s dominating audition and decided to change the character from being a large, giant man to someone more slender and understated. Craven would later say that Englund’s willingness to embrace Krueger’s dark and sordid side was what convinced him to cast the V star, having said of the decision:
“I wanted somebody who was an actor rather than a stuntman, somebody who could convey a sense of evil and who was very enthusiastic about getting to an evil state. You really have to get malicious and malevolent and a lot of actors just don’t want to get there; their heart isn’t in it. Robert Englund filled the bill…His delight with it is that he had been playing nebbishes and good guys and was looking forward to playing somebody older and evil.”
Though Warner may not have starred as the horror icon, the prestigious actor nonetheless went on to have a very successful and fulfilling career on both the big and small screen, memorably playing Spicer Lovejoy in James Cameron’s blockbuster extravaganza Titanic while also appearing in Scream 2, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and Mary Poppins Returns. He also had roles in television shows, including Twin Peaks, The Larry Sanders Show, Doctor Who, and Penny Dreadful, before passing away at 80 on July 24, 2022.
Robert Englund Scares Up Some Movie Magic
David Warner being forced to drop out of A Nightmare on Elm Street proved to be a massive blessing for Robert Englund, who would serve up an unparalleled and truly terrifying performance as the brutally scarred and demented Freddy Krueger, appearing in eight installments in the fan-favorite franchise. The original supernatural slasher garnered critical and commercial acclaim, grossing $57 million worldwide and receiving praise for its hair-raising original villain, ominous atmosphere, and deeply unsettling premise.
A Nightmare on Elm Street is now regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time and was lauded for pushing the boundaries between what is real and tangible and what is imaginary, with Freddy Krueger becoming one of the frightening faces of the pulse-pounding genre. Craven and the ’80s masterpiece have also been credited with helping to revitalize low-budget horror movies. It was one of the first Hollywood productions produced by New Line Cinema, and because of its overwhelming success, it helped the studio earn the nickname “The House that Freddy Built.” The enduring franchise remains one of the cinema’s most lucrative and electrifying, with both Krueger and Englund remaining beloved horror icons. Stream A Nightmare on Elm Street on Max.
