10 Worst Recastings In Horror Movie History
3. Jackie Earle Haley - A Nightmare On Elm Street
Robert Englund could find a cure for the common cold and people would still refer to him as “the Freddy Krueger guy”.
Englund played the character eight times in movies, several dozen times as part of the anthology series Freddy’s Nightmares, and in countless other films and TV shows that aren’t connected to A Nightmare on Elm Street in any way. He’s that synonymous with the character.
This presented a huge issue for the 2010 Elm Street remake. Englund, who was in his early 60s at the time, wasn't in the position to return to the character, so the search for a new Freddy began, eventually landing on Jackie Earle Haley, who had recently played Rorschach in the movie version of Watchmen.
Englund himself was a fan of the casting, but sadly, this would be the only praise Haley would get.
Viewers found it way too jarring to try and get used to a new Freddy, not helped by the fact that Haley's voice had to be altered digitally because it wasn't deep enough. The remake was torn to pieces by critics and Robert Englund remains the King of the Bladed Glove.