Warner Bros. Elm Street Movie Races Paramount to the Finish Line

A Nightmare on Elm Street has been dead in the water for almost two decades. Now it is back with a vengeance!

Just a few weeks ago Paramount announced their intentions of making a new A Nightmare on Elm Street movie. The film will be made under their new genre-focused production company, Paramount Primal.

When hearing this news fans are understandably skeptical. Their hesitation roots from a movie industry that has its fair shares of false starts and premature stops. They also are not quick to celebrate before they see what the final product looks like, and who will be wearing the glove. The 2010 remake, which many still refuse to accept, created an uproar among the diehards. Not only was Wes Craven, the original writer and director of the first movie, not involved, neither was Robert Englund.

Instead, Jackie Earle Haley was brought onto the project to pick up the glove and hat. As a part of the holy trilogy of slasher films (the other two being Halloween and Friday the 13th) this was downright blasphemous to lifelong fans.

Now, only a week after Paramount’s announcement, another shockwave has rocked the internet. Warner Bros. announced they are making their own A Nightmare on Elm Street film as well!

Warner Bros. Claim to the Glove

Within the span of just two weeks, Paramount Primal and Warner Bros. each announced they will be making the next Elm Street movie. We have gone from not a single Elm Street movie within 16 years to now having dueling production companies race to the finish line.

If you’re asking yourself why this movie has taken so long, the legalities surrounding the rights have always been a bit complicated. Neither studio has the complete worldwide control over the Elm Street property. Paramount has the domestic rights while Warner Bros. has the international. Furthermore, neither company wants to relinquish their rights to the other.

Two production companies and one franchise makes for any movement forward nearly impossible. Nearly.

Two Roads to Elm Street

While everything is still in early development and nothing is set in stone, Warner Bros. announced they are currently in talks with Lee Cronin of Evil Dead Rise to write, direct, and produce their rival movie.

Another piece of information buzzing around Warner Bros. water cooler is that their movie might very well be a shot for shot remake. Who wants to tell them this concept has a low success rate among fans? For instance, the shot for shot remake of 1998’s Psycho starring Vince Vaugn as Norman Bates was popularly received as “unnecessary”.

Equally little has been announced from Paramount Primal regarding their own plans for the continuation of the franchise. Their recent announcement focused more on them successfully securing the movie’s licensing. The project will be led by producers J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, who also produced Weapons, Barbarian, and Companion.

Wes Craven’s widow and son, Iya Labunk and Jonathan Craven, still own the U.S. rights to A Nightmare on Elm Street. However, they gave their permission and blessing to Paramount Primal to continue Wes’ legacy. It has also been made known that the two will be working with the production company as producers to oversee the making of the film.

Iya released a re-assuring statement regarding the continuation of her late husband’s legendary work.

“Jonathan and I are so excited to be partnering with J.D. and Rafi along with the terrific team they’ve assembled at Paramount Primal. 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 theater — around the campfire of today — as the next chapter of the ‘Nightmare’ story unfolds.”

Lifshitz and Margules added with equal enthusiasm;

“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 honor beyond words. We look forward to working alongside them to bring a terrifying new nightmare to audiences everywhere—and to welcome Freddy home.”

A Fight for the Fans

Horror aficionados are very loyal to the original Elm Street movies.

Many factors made the remake a disappointment to viewers. The inferior CGI didn’t hold a candle to the 1980’s practical effects. The make up was downright comical. If that isn’t enough, the plot strayed into taboo and cringey territory fans didn’t want to see. It is understandable why the audience is more than a tad bit gun shy when the announcement of the dueling movies hit the internet.

While Warner Bros. is talking about bringing top director Lee Cronin into the fold, they lack one important thing that Paramount has; the Cravens.

The fact Wes Craven’s wife and son endorse Paramount Primal might make all of the difference who fans choose to side with. In the past Warner Bros. also tried to gain the domestic rights with the Craven estate, but negotiations reportedly “broke down”. The Cravens so lovingly put their support in Paramount. They also trust the company to continue the story that opened so many doors for Wes. Their decision might be the deciding factor to the fanbase of who to side with. Loyalty means a lot to us horror fans.

Which production company are you rooting for to make the superior Elm Street film? Let us know in the comments!