Making the Original ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Was Harder Than Escaping From Freddy Krueger

Before there was a team of Dream Warriors or the gory rivalry with Jason Voorhees, it all began in 19844 with A Nightmare on Elm Street. Two men helped to create it, director-writer Wes Craven and producer Robert Shaye, both of whom had something to prove by making the film a success with audiences. When the genre had been exhausted from repetitive slasher flicks, A Nightmare on Elm Street was different. It’s now known as one of the biggest and most iconic horror franchises, but there were more problems behind the scenes than you can count on one razor-gloved hand. A new horror villain almost didn't slice into the mainstream when no studio wanted the script that Craven had made, and a rotating set during production caused a freak accident.