A Nightmare on Elm Street has remained a horror classic for decades, and has continued to be one of the most popular horror franchises of all time since 1984. That, of course, would not be possible without its heinous antagonist, Freddy Krueger, who has been terrorizing his victims in their dreams. The character Wes Craven created has been brought to life by Robert Englund throughout the film's various sequels and spin-offs, solidifying the actor's place in entertainment history. Now, the legacy of the veteran actor will be chronicled on the big screen, with a documentary titled Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story set to premiere around the actor's 75th birthday.
According to Variety, Cinedigm will give the documentary an exclusive theatrical run before it hits Screambox in June. The documentary, which features interviews from the seasoned actor, will not only highlight Englund's legacy and the "nightmare" the franchise brought for decades, but it will also showcase some of the prominent figures in the horror scene, including the likes of Lin Shaye (Insidious), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), Tony Todd (Candyman), Bill Mosley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), and Heather Langenkamp, who played Nancy Thompson in the original A Nightmare on Elm Street and some of its succeeding installments.
Although the actor is best known for playing the supernatural serial killer, which helped him rise to prominence, Englund has also appeared in a number of films, including the 1989 horror film The Phantom of the Opera, the slasher film Dance Macabre, and the 2002 horror-thriller Choose or Die. But while Englund is notorious for appearing in several horror movies, the actor also explored other genres, starting with his first-ever film, Buster and Billie, and went on to appear in different films like A Star Is Born, The Great Smokey Roadblock, Big Wednesday, and Bloodbrothers, before landing the Freddy Kruger role in 1984.
The actor played the role in seven A Nightmare on Elm Street installments before passing on the bladed glove to Jackie Earle Haley in the 2010 remake. He also reprised his role in the Freddy vs. Jason and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon spin-offs, alongside another horror icon, Jason Voorhees.
Christopher Griffiths and Gary Smart helmed the forthcoming documentary, with Smart saying that the project is a "love letter" honoring the actor's extraordinary career: “Both Chris and I have been fans of Robert since we were children, and now to have the opportunity to not only become friends with Robert but to also celebrate his amazing career in this love-letter documentary is truly a ‘dream’ come true for us."
On the other hand, Englund told Variety that working with the directors was a delight and that they were able to discover movies that he had forgotten he was in. "For Yours Truly, watching the film is a bit like Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn attending their own funeral. Gary, Chris and Adam (Evans) managed to find old movies and TV shows I’d forgotten I was in. I’d come back from the dead! All kidding aside – it’s an accurate memory of a working actor’s journey – dreams can come true.”