This 14%-Rated Remake Was Such a Disaster It Buried the Cult Horror Franchise for Good

The late 2000's and early 2010's were an important and controversial time for Hollywood producers – the era of reboots of cult slasher films began.

Friday the 13th tried to emulate the exploitation aesthetic of the original, but it went too far and became cheesy. My Bloody Valentine was so eager to fool fans with its plot twists that it seemed to be fooling itself.

But the one that came closest to winning the title of most unsuccessful remake was 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Wes Craven Wasn't Even Invited as a Consultant

It all started with good intentions – to collect the best of the series in one new movie, to honor the legacy of Wes Craven, and to reboot Freddy's story in the modern era for a new audience.

The creators wanted to take the frivolity out of the story, make it darker and scarier, and turn Krueger into a molester, as Wes Craven had originally planned.

Despite the respect for the cult films, Wes was not called to be a consultant, which he was unhappy about. The idea of a remake was only supported by Robert Englund, who was interested in what could be done with modern graphics.

Freddy Was Played by Another Actor & His Image Was Made Using CGI

However, he was not cast in the lead role, but Jackie Earle Haley, known for his role as Rorschach in Watchmen. The director was Samuel Bayer, who producer Michael Bay had high hopes for.

The movie was not just a remake, but a rethinking of the original. The plot fits into the framework of all the previous installments. Nancy has frighteningly realistic nightmares, people around her are dying in their sleep, and her mother is clearly hiding the unpleasant truth.

For the first time, Krueger's image was created using graphics. The same specialists who created the image of Two-Face in The Dark Knight were developing it. Haley worked a lot on the character's plasticity and voice, feeling a sense of responsibility – after all, he was embodying the iconic villain.

2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street Was a Flop That Buried Plans for Sequels

Haley and the other leading actors signed contracts for sequels, which never materialized. The reason was the devastating reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 14% of reviews were positive.

The remake of the cult horror turned out to be rather bland, even though the creators obviously didn't have a budget as limited as Wes Craven once had.

Unlike the original, the new version offers very few visually arresting moments, and the very concept of a madman stalking his victims through their dreams comes across as very dull in the remake.