Photo by Miguel Discart, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Four decades after Freddy Krueger first invaded our dreams, Robert Englund remains the franchise’s most eloquent historian — part archivist, part mentor, part guardian of the dream world Wes Craven built. Speak with him for even a few minutes and you get the sense of a man who’s spent a lifetime studying the mechanics of fear and the ever-changing trends of nightmare architecture.

With Warner Bros.’ new A Nightmare on Elm Street 4K Ultra HD Seven-Movie Collection restoring every claw mark and boiler-room shadow in exquisite detail, Englund sees the release not simply as a technical triumph but as a rediscovery. For him, it’s a reminder of the craftsmanship that made Elm Street more than just a slasher series — a body of work that became a creative proving ground for some of the most ambitious filmmakers and actors of their generation.

Photo by Miguel Discart / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Edit by Dread Central

When Englund talks about those years, he does so with the warmth of a patient instructor remembering his favorite students. He recalls camera operators who went on to redefine television, actors who grew into Oscar winners, and directors who helped push horror into new artistic territory. What began as a dream project for a handful of scrappy genre outsiders became, through time and talent, a kind of informal school of cinematic innovation — one that still echoes through the genre today.

“There are so many,” Englund tells us when asked about the artists who launched their careers through what I refer to as Nightmare University. “Roy Wagner, who shot Nightmare 4, went on to change the entire look of network television with CSI. He was the house cinematographer for that show—such a talented guy.”

He smiles at the memory of that era. “When I was doing the sci-fi series V, we were just starting to elevate special effects on TV. Before that, it was mostly guys in green makeup like Star Trek. That era was transforming, and Roy was a big part of it.”

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors: Patricia Arquette, 1987. ©New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection

Englund lights up when talking about his cast-mates, too. “Patricia Arquette—every time I see Patty, I’m reminded of how incredible she was even back then. I told her at a Hollywood party once: she’s absolutely brilliant in the John Boorman film, Beyond Rangoon. She’s in every frame of it and completely magnetic. She’s done such great work since then, from Boardwalk Empire to her Oscar-winning turn. She’s just a wonderful actor.”

He goes down the line like a proud prof. “Heather Langenkamp just did a Stephen King adaptation and had that hit sitcom back in the ’90s. Lisa Wilcox, who played Alice, is still working steadily in indie horror. Renny Harlin’s directing, Steven Hopkins is producing, and of course, we lost Wes [Craven], which is heartbreaking.”

“I’d really love to see something new from Ronnie Yu,” he adds. “Not only did he make Freddy vs. Jason work, but I remember being at a film festival in France years ago, sitting with John Landis at nine in the morning, sipping those big bowl cups of French coffee, watching Bride of Chucky. Ronnie has such a gift for that edgy, graphic-novel-style horror. And Jack Sholder — another great one. He’s a double threat, both a director and an editor. So yeah, there are a lot of Nightmare University graduates out there making me proud.”

A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Robert Englund, 1988. ©New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett Collection

While fans still hail Dream Warriors as the definitive entry, Englund has always been partial to two of the franchise’s more divisive sequels. “People always talk about Part 3 as the fan favorite, and of course, the original is iconic,” he says. “But I’d say Part 4 and Part 5 are the most underrated.”

“When Part 4 came out, people gave it a backhanded compliment — they called it the ‘MTV Nightmare’ because it was flashy and full of stylized editing tricks. But honestly, that one has my favorite performance of mine as Freddy. The junkyard scenes, especially, are just superb.”

As for The Dream Child, Englund praises Stephen Hopkins’ world-building. “The production design is phenomenal. He really took us into another world. Like Ronnie Yu, he brought that graphic-novel energy — it feels like turning the pages of a dark, surreal comic book. They both really hold up.”

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Robert Englund, 2006. Courtesy Anchor Bay

When the conversation turns to other beloved franchises in his filmography that deserve a second life, Englund’s answer comes quickly. “You mentioned Urban Legend and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon — and that last one, I’ll tell you, there is a great script out there for a sequel.”

“It wasn’t a remake — it was a true sequel,” he explains as I lean in. “The idea was that they’re making a movie about Leslie Vernon, and HBO is producing a documentary about the making of that movie, like Hearts of Darkness. In the story, there’s an actor playing Leslie — a method actor who never takes off the mask. The female lead and I are brought in as technical advisors. Then people on the crew start dying — the gaffer gets electrocuted, the seamstress is literally stitched to death — and it turns out Leslie’s really back.”

Englund’s enthusiasm is bittersweet. “It was such a clever, self-aware concept — scary but satirical, too. I read the script and it was terrific. I was all in. But between COVID delays, financing falling apart, and the passing of Scott Wilson — who was going to play a major role — it just fell through. They were so close. It really would’ve been something special.”

Weapons, Amy Madigan, 2025. Courtesy Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema

Englund keeps up with the new wave of genre cinema, too. “I loved Weapons — I’ve been telling people to go see it,” he says. “But what’s really great about that film is Amy Madigan. That’s Ed Harris’s wife, and I’ve known of her and Ed forever. Friends of mine went to school with Ed — even Pee-wee Herman did — and my friend David Irving’s sister, Amy Irving, from Carrie and The Fury, used to tell me stories about Amy Madigan back in the day.”

“People remember her from Field of Dreams, but she’s such a rock-and-roll performer — fierce, unpredictable, and just terrific in Weapons. I don’t want to spoil anything, but she’s genuinely terrifying in it.”

He laughs, pivoting to another recent favorite. “Apartment 7A is great too. It takes a bit of dialogue from Rosemary’s Baby and spins it into this fascinating prequel. I’ve been telling people to watch them back-to-back — Apartment 7A and then Rosemary’s Baby. They go together beautifully.”

Wes Craven in New Nightmare: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

Despite the decades that have passed since the original Nightmare on Elm Street, Englund still talks about Wes Craven with deep affection.

“I knew Wes for a long time,” he says. “People don’t talk enough about The Serpent and the Rainbow — another one of his great films. Wes was incredibly smart and funny, but not in the way people might think. His humor was like a 14-year-old boy trapped inside a professor’s body — a little silly, wonderfully immature, and completely endearing.”

Craven’s strict upbringing made his creative hunger even more intense. “He didn’t grow up with movies or rock and roll — maybe one Disney film a year. So when he finally got out into the world, he devoured everything — film, music, art, literature.”

Englund remembers visiting Craven at Steve McQueen’s old bachelor pad overlooking Los Angeles. “It was the coolest place imaginable,” he recalls. “His coffee table was covered in new books and jazz records. One week it was tribal tattoo art, the next it was Miles Davis. He was always exploring.”

But his favorite memory is far more human. “When I was shooting a series for him in Vancouver, he’d come over on weekends. We’d have dinner, open a bottle of wine, watch Saturday Night Live, then sneak out to a hotel bar where k.d. lang was performing jazz sets before she was famous. One night, we were watching that old SNL sketch — Head Wound Harry with Dana Carvey — and Wes absolutely lost it. He fell off the couch laughing, this tall, lanky man crying with laughter. That was the night he stopped being my boss and became my friend.”

“That’s who Wes really was,” Englund says softly. “A brilliant, intellectual man who kept that mischievous teenage boy alive inside him. That balance — between philosopher and prankster — that’s what made him so special.”

Now, with A Nightmare on Elm Street restored in 4K and preserved for a new generation, Englund sees the timing as perfect. “There are a lot of Nightmare University graduates out there making me proud,” he says. “And I think these new restorations let people finally see just how imaginative and ambitious those films really were. They weren’t just scary — they were beautiful.”

The A Nightmare on Elm Street 4K Ultra HD Seven-Movie Collection is available now from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Cover image of Robert Englund originally by Miguel Discart (Photos Vrac), used under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Edited for Dread Central’s Halloween 2025 Digital Feature.

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