When it comes to stark longevity and ever-present influence, very few film franchises have come to entice audiences as much as the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series has. However, it looks as though the upcoming removal of the horror movies from Netflix has reminded us about the franchise’s current state of limbo.
Ever since Wes Craven’s unforgettable OG film back in 1984, the pulse-pounding horror franchise has successfully garnered a massive following — which eventually spawned an entire film series chock-full of head-twisting sequels. Over the course of its success, the film franchise went on to gross nearly $500 million at the worldwide box office, further cementing its legacy as one of the most fruitful horror franchises of all time.
Despite its roaring triumph, however, horror site Bloody Disgusting recently reported that six Nightmare movies are leaving Netflix on June 30, 2024, while the only movie to remain on the streaming giant is Wes Craven’s New Nightmare. Of course, still being able to stream New Nightmare is a plus, but the truth is that the rest of the horror flicks being removed is a gentle reminder that no new Nightmare movies have been confirmed for the future.
And while there are certainly other places to watch the horror movies (including old DVDs or other sources of streaming), the removal of six Nightmare movies is a gut-punch to die-hards who know that another movie is likely not going to happen soon — especially with franchise veteran Robert Englund stating several times that he’s “too old” to play villain Freddy Krueger.
Although no new Nightmare project has been confirmed for the future, rumors have circulated that a major film studio is likely to purchase the rights at some point — but with how questionable the material was for the 2010 remake, it’s also incredibly likely that the franchise could remain in limbo for years to come.
