Robert Englund Won't Do 'Elm Street' Remake, But Will Direct 'Vij'

Forget those rumors you heard last week about Robert Englund possibly reprising his role as Freddy Kruger (a franchise re-launch of A Nightmare on Elm Street was confirmed last week). They may not be true. But also forget what you might have read today about Kruger not returning. According to an interview with Englund by Bad Taste, the actor has not been approached ... yet. (Moviehole had said he would be approached). Of course, he may still be asked to suit up in the striped sweater and razor glove (Englund mentions needing to speak to his agent about it), but the actor doesn't seem to think it a good idea. He says he's too old to play Freddy -- apparently he hasn't been following the geriatric casting trends in Hollywood lately -- and joked that the new film's title would have to be "Freddy vs. Viagra" (har har). He did, however, mention that he'd be down for a cameo.

Englund spoke to Bad Taste from Italy, where he's prepping his next directorial effort, The Vij, in which he will also star alongside Christopher Lee and Russian actress Olga Shuvalova. According to Englund, the film is based on a short story by the Russian author Gogol, and will involve, "The Viji [sic], the guardian of the purgatory, who came to Earth." He also stated that it should be in black and white, but it will actually be in color (to appeal to a larger audience) and will be a mix of Kafka, German expressionism, the cinematography of Vittorio Storaro and classic stories like The Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Snow White. According to Variety, the film will be a "dark gothic fantasy" with a plot revolving "around an evil genie who conditions the actions of a young priest, leading him to commit murder and fall in love with an old witch who is actually not what she seems." The evil genie part makes me think of Wishmaster, which also starred Englund and which actually makes The Vij sound better than it probably will be considering Englund also directed 976-EVIL.