The re-imagining of slasher classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street” means sweet dreams for feature-hungry Chicago, as production company Platinum Dunes settled into Chicago Studio City for five months of local filming.
“Nightmare” opened its CSC production office March 1. Cameras begin rolling April 27 with a crew of 135-150, although no stars or other key positions have been hired as yet.
Shooting is expected to take place in the suburbs.
This is a return trip to Chicago exactly one year later by producer Michael Bay of Platinum Dunes, a virtual horror film factory (“Friday the 13th,” “Transformers,” “The Hitcher,” “The Amityville Horror”).
Last March and April, Bay filmed the supernatural thriller, “The Unborn,” also at Chicago Studio City. He also will shoot is next thriller, “The Butcherhouse Chronicles,” here, with Frank Borin signed to direct.
Sam Bayer will direct the rebooting of the 25-year old fright film. He is best known as a director of music videos for Nirvana, Metallica, David Bowie, Garbage, winning Director of the Year at the 2005 and 2007 MTV Awards. He has also won Clios for commercials.
The screenplay by Wesley Strick (“Cape Fear,” “Arachnophobia”) is strongly based on the first “Nightmare.” It borrowed elements from the entire franchise, but is said to have taken a more serious and horrifying approach.
Actor Robert Englund won’t be playing fedora-wearing Freddy Krueger in this, the franchise’s ninth incarnation, but epressed in an interest in appearing.
Andrew Form and Bradley Fuller are also producing. Form was here last year on “The Unborn.”
