Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)

Wes Craven's New Nightmare (also simply known as New Nightmare) is a 1994 American meta slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven, the original creator of A Nightmare on Elm Street and final installment in original series. Although it is the seventh installment in the franchise, it is not part of the series continuity, instead portraying Freddy Krueger as a fictional movie villain who invades the real world, and haunts the cast and crew responsible for his films. In the film, Freddy is depicted as closer to what Craven originally intended, being much more menacing and much less comical, with an updated attire and appearance.

The film features various people involved in the motion picture industry playing themselves, including actress Heather Langenkamp, who is compelled by events in the narrative to reprise her role as Nancy Thompson. New Nightmare features several homages to the original film such as quotes and recreations of the most famous scenes. The film received positive reviews from critics. It grossed $19.7 million at the box office on a budget of $8 million, making it the poorest performing film in the Nightmare series. It won an International Fantasy Film Award from Fantasporto for Best Screenplay by Craven.