Dark wizards, fire-breathing dragons, and now, Freddy Krueger. Is there any demon from the fiery depths Millie Bobby Brown can’t take on?
In the last eight years, actress Millie Bobby Brown, best known for playing the telekinetic teen Eleven/Jane Hopper in Netflix’s Stranger Things (2016), has shot to stardom. The sci-fi horror series has quickly become one of the most popular franchises ever, spawning comic books, novels, mobile games, video games, stage plays, and other immersive experiences.
Since first appearing as Eleven, Brown has also been busy filling her resume while planting her feet firmly in two movie franchises, appearing as the titular detective in Netflix’s Enola Holmes (2020) and Enola Holmes 2 (2022) and as Kaiju-hunting teen Maddison Russell in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). But could the star’s future lie in one of the many franchises Stranger Thingspays homage to?
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ May Have Revealed Max’s Fate in Season 5
It’s no mystery that Stranger Things pays homage to countless ’80s franchises. Not to discredit this absolutely genius hit sci-fi series, but while it has a solid concept that has thrilled Netflix viewers for the past eight years, the whole thing is essentially a melting pot of ’80s nostalgia that draws upon several movies for inspiration.
Season 4, in particular, is a love letter to the A Nightmare on Elm Street film franchise. The main protagonist Vecna/Henry Creel/One (Jamie Campbell Bower) — a human-turned-disfigured-supernatural-monster who sports a clawed hand and essentially murders teens in their sleep — is obviously inspired by the iconic “dream demon” Freddy Krueger. Robert Englund himself even appears as Henry Creel’s father, Victor Creel. Need we say more?
Millie Bobby Brown in A Nightmare on Elm Street
Now, the space between the Stranger Things and A Nightmare on Elm Street universes has become even narrower, as a brand-new trailer for the iconic ’80s horror franchise has emerged from the dream world, and it features none other than Millie Bobby Brown as “final girl” Nancy Thompson, who must face dream demon Freddy Krueger.
Check it out below, courtesy of YouTube channel KH Studios:
Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already guessed from the extremely poor quality of the trailer, this is completely fake — KH Studios have been churning out fan-made trailers (with some supplementary AI Deepfake technology) every day for quite some time now (see the Back to the Future trailer with Tom Holland and the Batgirl trailer with Jenna Ortega).
This trailer uses footage from 2010’s half-asleep A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot (it even superimposes Millie Bobby Brown’s face over Rooney Mara’s Nancy Thompson), and a few entries from Brown’s own resume, including Godzilla vs. Kong and Damsel (2024).
Related: How to Watch the ‘Elm Street’ Movies, Including the Reboot and TV Series
However, like all the other fake trailers, A Nightmare on Elm Street gives some food for thought. While it remains to be seen what life will be like for the stars of Stranger Things beyond Season 5 — many cast members have already “jumped ship” to other franchises in preparation (Finn Wolfhard is now in Ghostbusters, David Harbour is in Violent Night, and so on).
Eleven actress Millie Bobby Brown is unlikely to return to Godzilla or Enola Holmes, as she doesn’t appear in the new Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) and there are no signs of a third Enola film being in development.
As such, with Stranger Things Season 5 almost upon us, Brown might want to start looking at some other well-known IPs, and if Netflix’s Damsel alone proves anything, there might be no better place for her than a horror franchise — especially one that’s as tied to the ’80s as Stranger Things.
Could Brown follow Heather Langenkamp (A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984, A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dream Warriors, and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare) and Rooney Mara (the 2010 reboot) and play Nancy Thompson in anElm Street reboot?
Related: ‘Elm Street’ Reboot May Feature a Female Freddy Krueger
Is Freddy Krueger Coming Back?
There has been a fair bit of chatter about an Elm Street reboot since Platinum Dunes’ failed attempt in 2010 (although, while a critical bomb, it did gross $117.7M against its $35M budget), but for reasons that aren’t entirely understood, Hollywood seems to be unable to get its razor-clawed hand into the property, despite the fact it has no problem rebooting other iconic slasher franchises such as Halloween, Child’s Play, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, and Scream.
We’ll just have to wait and see what Tinseltown dreams up in the next couple of years.
Meanwhile, Millie Bobby Brown is set to reprise her role as Eleven in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, which is probably the closest we’ll ever get to seeing her face off against dream demons for the time being.
Would you like to see Millie Bobby Brown star in the A Nightmare on Elm Street reboot? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
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