Skydance Bests Itself in a War Over Freddy Krueger

Freddy Krueger can slice you up and invade your dreams, but even he’s not immune to corporate synergy. Months after competing Nightmare on Elm Street projects popped up at both Paramount and Warner Bros., a new report claims the Paramount version has won out. Which makes sense, since one company, Skydance, now owns both Paramount and Warner Bros. To recap, back in July, Paramount announced that it was developing a new Nightmare on Elm Street film with the blessing of the estate of creator Wes Craven, based on his original 1984 screenplay. It didn’t hold rights to all of the sequels, but when you think of the key things needed to make a Nightmare movie, it’s mostly in that first screenplay. Unlike Friday the 13th. And yet, a few months later, rumors began swirling that Warner Bros.—owner of New Line, which originated the franchise—was talking to The Mummy director Lee Cronin about another version it hoped would beat the Paramount one into theaters. The race had begun. Well, according to Dread Central, once Skydance took over Warner Bros., that was it. The Paramount version with the Craven family seal of approval has won out, killing the Warner Bros. version. And, out of the two, that feels like the right move. Craven’s name is key to bringing back this iconic horror franchise. All of which now, finally, leaves the door open for the return of Freddy Krueger, and wow, is it overdue. In a world where Michael Myers returned in the Halloween franchise, Friday the 13th finally found a fresh take, and indie horror movies are still making hundreds of millions of dollars, it was insane to think one of the biggest, most recognizable brands in the entire genre has been lying dormant for almost 20 years. Now we just wait to find out who is directing and who’ll play Freddy. Any thoughts? Want more io9 news? Check out the best movies and TV shows to stream this month and all the upcoming sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books that should be on your radar.