20 Things You Didn’t Know About The Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise
8. Freddy Was Based On Two Real People
Imagine finding out that one of the most creepy villains in movie history was based on you. Well, there are at least two real people out there who have that claim to fame. As Craven has revealed, the character of Freddy Krueger was inspired partially by an experience he had where one night, he saw an elderly man wearing a fedora walking down the sidewalk outside his home.
Very creepily, the man stopped in his tracks, glanced at Craven, and then walked off. Craven was so startled that the event stuck with him, and he eventually spun that creepy feeling into the character of Freddy.
In terms of the name, there actually is a real man called Freddy Krueger - a school bully who relentlessly tormented Craven. That's quite a middle finger to a former enemy. Imagine the looks that guy gets now when he tells people his name.
The lesson here is don’t be a bully, because you never know who will grow up to become a famous movie director and use their powers to ruin your name forever.