Chuck Russell, the director behind A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, has revealed his interest in returning to the iconic horror franchise — and he’s eyeing an unexpected actor to take on the role of Freddy Krueger: Jim Carrey.

In a recent podcast interview, Russell discussed how Robert Englund, who defined the Freddy character across multiple films, has officially stepped away from the role. With that in mind, Russell floated the idea that Jim Carrey could bring a fresh and unique take to the infamous dream killer. He argued that Carrey’s blend of physical performance, dark humor, and intensity could be a perfect fit — especially if the franchise leans into a more meta or psychological direction, similar to Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.

Russell has worked with Carrey before, most notably on The Mask in 1994, and believes Carrey has the right mix of charisma and creepiness to reimagine Freddy for a new generation. However, he also emphasized that any new entry in the franchise would need broad creative and studio support to succeed.

The concept of rebooting Freddy Krueger with a new face isn’t new, but casting someone as high-profile and unconventional as Carrey would certainly set a new tone for the series — and likely spark debate among horror fans.

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