[officialleafan]

Freddy Krueger is getting a wakeup call.

Platinum Dunes partners Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form have been set by New Line to relaunch the movie series centered on the iconic killer, who haunts the dreams of teenagers and kills them in their sleep.

The trio will create a new franchise based on Wes Craven’s 1984 film “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Originally played by Robert Englund, the Krueger character haunted nine films and two TV series in what was New Line’s most lucrative franchise until “The Lord of the Rings.”

Deal comes as Bay, Fuller and Form ready an early May start for “Friday the 13th,” New Line’s relaunch of another iconic baddie, Jason Voorhees. Marcus Nispel will direct from a script by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (“Freddy vs. Jason”).

Both franchises will be given a complete overhaul, just as Platinum Dunes did with the Nispel-directed “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” New Line won’t hire a writer on “Nightmare” until the writers strike ends.

At Rogue Pictures, the Platinum Dunes team is prepping an exorcism thriller to be directed by David Goyer and a “Near Dark” remake to be directed by Samuel Bayer. Bay, Fuller and Form are also developing a Universal remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” with Martin Campbell directing Naomi Watts.



http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...goryid=13&cs=1