Rob Zombie’s ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ Reboot? This Fake Poster Keeps Going Viral
Fake news is nothing new. Its mainstream breakthrough moment was in 2016 when it attempted to overthrow democracy, and it has only become stronger and more insidious ever since. Now, in the age of AI-generated images, false reports of pop culture news are more ubiquitous than ever before. While our elderly family members have been posting fake, fan-made Beetlejuice 2 posters in earnest for at least a decade, this nonsense is more difficult to parse from the real reports than ever before with the help of AI and social media. No one is safe, not even Rob Zombie or Freddy Krueger.
Well, one of the most infamous examples of fake movies and TV news to make a splash on social media is a fictional Max series that continues to make the rounds on Facebook’s plethora of well-populated horror movie fan groups. Fred is a completely fake, totally fabricated fan concept for A Nightmare On Elm Street streaming series that continues to gain notoriety, and the fans who keep falling for the scam are becoming victims of progressively hilarious bouts of public shaming.
While the homemade, AI-generated poster art for Fred is clearly not official to the well-trained eyeball, plenty of folks are not chronically online enough to spot the lie. And on some level, I respect that. From the dead stare of the computed-generated Fred to the flat, store-bought font choices, it may be surprising to learn how often this fake concept project has gone viral on social media. Yet here we are. Every few months, it gets thousands to millions of impressions/views.
If there is a Freddy Krueger fan out there who may be under its spell, do the compassionate thing and let them down lightly with the truth.
Check out this poster for the fake Rob Zombie series Fred:
What makes the concept of Fred so enticing for some fans is the fantasy talent who is rumored to be (falsely) attached to the fictional Max series. While, like any good urban legend, the reports change with each new iteration of the fake series, genre-mainstay Rob Zombie is often incorrectly reported to be directing. What makes this lie so genius is how polarizing Zombie has become among fans, especially regarding his major horror franchise projects. Every single one of us seems to have a passionate opinion on his Halloween/Michael Myers chapters, and his reboot of The Munsters sent many fans into conversational spirals upon announcement.
A fictional premise for the fake Rob Zombie concept series reads as follows:
“Get ready for a chilling journey into the origins of terror with ‘FRED’ – a gripping 10-episode event on MAX streaming service this October. Starring DJ Qualls as the titular character himself. Witness the transformation of Fred Krueger from evil man into nightmare slasher in this Wes Craven Studios Production. Directed by Rob Zombie in his television series debut, brace yourself for an unforgettable descent into darkness.”
While I assume we’re all aware of Rob Zombie, the shock-rocker turned horror movie director responsible for House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, DJ Qualls may be a less familiar name to some. The actor, known for his roles in The New Guy, Road Trip, and TV’s Supernatural, might actually make for a decent hypothetical Freddy Krueger if any studio is unwise enough to cast anyone other than the still-spry Robert Englund.
One, two, Freddy, where the hell are you?
So, what is going on with the beloved Nightmare franchise? Five long years ago, Bloody Disgusting reported that the rights had been reverted back to Wes Craven’s estate, who would be taking pitches for new material. Not much has been said since then, but we have to assume undead icon Freddy Krueger will reemerge at some point. Right??
The franchise has not had a movie since the much-maligned 2010 remake starring Jackie Earle Haley as its lead dream demon antagonist. Some false starts in the past decade or so include a reboot penned by the underrated horror hero David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who penned both Orphan films.
Have you encountered the fake Rob Zombie/Fred announcements on social media? Are you as parched for new Freddy Krueger content as we are? Then let us know on X/Twitter via @DreadCentral. We are literally always around to chat about A Nightmare on Elm Street.
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