New Nightmare on Elm Street Movie in Development at Paramount

Posted on: July/14/2026 1:04 PM

A new Nightmare on Elm Street movie is in development at Paramount Pictures, bringing Freddy Krueger back to the big screen. The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported that the studio has secured the U.S. rights to develop a new film based on Wes Craven’s original screenplay for the 1984 horror classic. The currently untitled project is being prioritized by Paramount Primal, the studio’s newly established genre label.

The rights are being licensed by Craven’s estate, with his widow, Iya Labunka, and son, Jonathan Craven, attached as producers. Marc Toberoff will also produce, while J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules—whose credits include Barbarian and Weapons—will executive produce through Paramount Primal.

Labunka said the family looks forward to introducing Craven’s nightmarish world to a new generation, describing the film as the “next chapter” in the Nightmare on Elm Street story. However, it remains unclear whether the project will directly remake the original film, reinterpret elements from Craven’s screenplay, or tell a new story within the franchise’s universe.

No writer, director, cast, production schedule, or release date has been announced. That also leaves the project’s biggest question unanswered: who will inherit the Freddy Krueger role? Robert Englund originated the character and played Freddy throughout the original series, while Jackie Earle Haley took over for the poorly received 2010 remake.

The new film will be the franchise’s first theatrical installment in more than 16 years. For now, the important news is that Freddy is officially returning to the big screen—although precisely what kind of nightmare Paramount has planned remains under wraps.