When Wes Craven first created Freddy Krueger, it’s a fair to assume that he didn’t quite realize just the potential that the villain had. Only committing to one sequel of his own in New Nightmare, Craven had spawned a monster capable of infiltrating our dreams. So uniquely our own and personal to us, Krueger had the ability to do and be anything he wanted in order to stalk and kill his victims. With that never-ending possibility, it’s more than fair to assume that this killer could cross over from the dream world to another profitable and recognized IP if he really desired.

With the return of Robert Englund to our screens in this season’s Stranger Things, it has shocked the system and reminded everyone of how much we miss Freddy in the world of popular horror. Coming off the finale of their Halloween trilogy this month, Jason Blum, mega producer of Blumhouse Studios, recently teased that if anyone could coax Englund back in the makeup that he would be the man to do it.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

But who exactly could he stalk this time around? Just in time for Halloween, we pitch some possible clashes we’d want to see.

Freddy Krueger vs N.W.A

     Universal Pictures

Stick with us on this one.

For some odd reason, Freddy Krueger and the rap scene are deep linked. DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince released an unofficial track titled a Nightmare on My Street which was rejected for the soundtrack of Dream Master, but still sampled the Nightmare theme and prominently features a Krueger-like situation. Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master utilized rap trio The Fat Boys for the soundtrack, and had the horizontally challenged group chased by Freddy Krueger (revealed to be one of the group’s uncle) around a haunted house. In what we can only hope is canon, Freddy raps in the video which can be seen below.

Following the global success of the Straight Outta Compton movie, this feature pitches the N.W.A against Freddy as he repeatedly tries to bring the group down, killing them off one by one. N.W.A’s Ice Cube himself has already fought a giant snake in Anaconda, and battled ghosts from Mars in, uh, Ghosts from Mars… so why not tackle everyone’s worst nightmare? Busta Rhymes also shows up to karate kick Freddy through a window.

Freddy Krueger vs Total Recall

     TriStar Pictures

Always ripe for the big screen adaption, Philip K. Dick’s We Can Remember it for You Wholesale bagged Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven for a major Hollywood take that showed us an ultraviolent rebellion on Mars. Throughout its story, Arnold’s character Doug Quaid questions not just who he is but his very reality, with the very final scene making it seem as if Doug has been in an implanted dream the whole time… so why not throw Fred in there?

The thought of Krueger transplanting himself into a Schwarzenegger movie makes the mouth water, and would fit in easily enough with Krueger’s endless powers in the dream world. Plus, Schwarzenegger has always had interesting results with the horror genre, with End of Days and the restrained haunting of Maggie. Krueger meanwhile (for better or worse — but probably definitely better) has never gone to the future or space like his compatriots in Jason X, Leprechaun 4: In Space or Pinhead in Hellraiser IV: Bloodline.

Freddy Krueger vs Sesame Street

     Sesame Workshop

Dubbed by the naysayers as “Nightmare on Elmo Street,” our pitch goes: the human characters can’t sleep and are all being killed off. It’s up to Big Bird and Elmo to get to the nitty-gritty bottom of what’s happening. Uncovering the seedy past of Freddy Krueger molesting puppeteers behind the scenes, the story builds to its climax as Oscar the grouch is ripped in two from the inside out as Freddy’s glove rises up from inside him. The Count will team up as a villain.

As bogus as this idea is, it would give an amazing opportunity for some incredible guest stars (Kelly Rowland and Neve Campbell read today’s letters while Cookie Monster is forced to eat until he explodes).

Ash vs Freddy Krueger

     Rosebud Releasing Corporation

So this one actually makes a weird amount of sense. Following the success of Freddy vs Jason, a follow-up was mooted to include Evil Dead’s Ash Williams. With Ash’s own bizarro timeline, and magnet attraction to all things evil, Freddy and Jason slot right in. A comic book series titled Freddy vs. Jason vs Ash happened in 2007 (Ash wins), but a movie was quickly shot down by Campbell himself. On the sequel pitch, speaking at a roundtable interview at New York Comic Con, Bruce Campbell said:

Freddy Krueger vs The Babadook

     Umbrella Entertainment

In the most Freddy vs Jason syled addition on our list, The Springwood Slasher takes on another movie monster. Subtly commenting on how the Krueger character has been entirely pushed aside in the wake of “elevated horror,” this one writes itself.

We had a five-minute conversation with New Line Cinema about Ash vs. Jason vs. Freddy. They approached us. So they go, ‘What do you think about that?’ And we were like, ‘Great, Ash can kill ‘em both.’ There was a long pause, ‘Well actually that’s not something we can entertain.’ And we couldn’t control any other character, only control Ash - what these guys said, or what they did and you can’t kill either one. So right from the start, it’s creatively bankrupt. Economically, now you’re splitting the pot with two other partners - nah. We’re good. So that’s why - fans may not realize why things don’t happen.

Having grown an attachment to the little boy in the first film, The Babadook is filled with rage when Freddy Krueger enters his dreams and murders him. Seeking revenge, and still working with major themes of motherhood, the mother (played again by the great Essie Davis) and The Babadook must team up to kill Freddy for what he’s done.

Freddy Krueger vs Inception

     Warner Bros.

This would be sold to film geeks everywhere as Nolan vs Craven.

Way out in front, we have Freddy taking on Leo. The ingenuity of Nolan’s mind-bending sets and scenarios would see DiCaprio’s Cobb with a new team as they must infiltrate the mind of a wealthy business owner’s son. Then, using the boy’s inner knowledge, they plan to crack into his father’s estate. Unfortunately for the team, Freddy also happens to be there… and Freddy knows full well that if you die in the dream, you die in real life.

Realizing how unsafe they really are, Cobb now must help protect the boy to keep himself safe and find away to escape Freddy.

Arguably, the Oscar-winning actor has already done dreamy psychological horror with Shutter Island, so this shouldn’t be too outlandish a pitch. South Park has already covered this one though. Make it happen already, Blum.