THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
 

                                By
                                Arturo Portillo​

               

                          FAN-MADE SCRIPT
                Characters and Story by Wes Craven

FADE IN:

EXT. DOWNTOWN STREET - NIGHT

​
The beginning of GARY WRIGHT’S song DREAM WEAVER, plays out
from the speakers of a nicely kept late 1960s red
convertible.
 

A young GIRL embracing her BOYFRIEND, sit quietly in the
back seat of the vehicle that idles near a LIQUOR store’s
front entrance.
 

The young girl wears light blue flared jeans topped with
platform shoes. Her blonde hair hangs loosely past her
shoulders and resting on her white puffy blouse.
 

Her boyfriend sports bell-bottom torn jeans and a red shirt.
His hair is parted in the middle and curled to the sides in
a lengthy knot.
 

The PASSENGER, a young girl as well, dressed like a punk
rock girl, like Joan Jett or Pat Benatar, reaches to change
the dial on the radio.
 

                    YOUNG GIRL #1
          No, don’t change it. I love this
          song.
 

                    YOUNG GIRL #2
          Fine.
 

She sits back into her seat and POPS a bubblegum bubble then
begins to play with it.
 

                    YOUNG GIRL #1
          Isn’t it dreamy?
 

                    BOYFRIEND
          "Dreamy?" What are you, stuck in
          the 50s or sumthin’?
 

                    YOUNG GIRL #1
          Just listen to the lyrics, it opens
          your eyes.
 

                    BOYFRIEND
          Just listening to this makes me
          wanna fall asleep. I’ll probably
          get nightmares for three weeks,
          babe. What’s taking him?
 

​

                                                 (CONTINUED)
 

CONTINUED:                                              2.
 

​

                    YOUNG GIRL #2
          What if they think he’s too young?
 

                    BOYFRIEND
          I knew my brother shoulda come with
          us.
 

The Dream Weaver song finishes, but not before being
interrupted by a news flash.
 

                    REPORTER (V.O.)
          The remains of two young children
          ages 6 and 12, were found near the
          Springwood Salvage Yard after an
          anonymous tipper phoned in the
          Springwood Police Department
          earlier this afternoon. Police are
          still baffled by the findings
          saying it...
 

The reporter continues talking when a short burst of
lightning in the distance interrupts the signal with static.
 

                    YOUNG GIRL #1
          Maybe we should raise the hood.
          It’s starting to sprinkle.
 

Drizzle begins to fall from a floating thundercloud up
above. A bright SPARK ignites causing more static to
interfere the signal of the radio.
 

A wooden lamp post turns ON near the idling vehicle. On this
lamp post are three faded fliers with the faces of MISSING
CHILDREN. Below, the phone number and the REWARD if found.
 

THEN
 

A hand, with a diamond ring on the finger, STAPLES one more
missing child picture with information on how to contact the
family. Above one of the older fliers.
 

The WOMAN who stapled the flier carries a stack full of more
of these missing child fliers. Judging by her clothes, she
seems wealthy, wearing an expensive-looking coat with a fur
collar.
 

Her SON, in his late teens, helps his mother out.
The woman wipes away some tears from her cheeks and hands a
few fliers to some walking PEDESTRIANS.
 

One pedestrian takes the flier then quickly crumples it and
tosses it in the nearest trash bin.
 

​

                                                  (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                               3.
 

​

                    WOMAN
          Ma’am, have you seen this child?
 

                    PEDESTRIAN ONE
          Nope, sorry.
 

                    WOMAN
          Can you please take this, if you
          do? There’s a reward. Please tell
          others.
 

                    SON
          Mom, looks like it’ll start pouring
          heavily soon. I think we should
          start heading out. It’s getting
          late anyway.
 

                    WOMAN
          You think Susan wouldn’t continue
          looking for you if you were lost?
 

                    SON
          Mom...
 

                    WOMAN
          No, she wouldn’t! She would stay up
          all night looking for you! Jesus,
          she just turned 9 years old.
         

She begins to cry again.
 

He gives in. SIGHS...
 

                    SON
          All right, mom. You’re right. Come
          on, I know a section of town where
          there’s a lot of people. Maybe
          we’ll luck out there.
 

The woman and son head to their car but not before she sees
a rusted beat up 1972 Dodge Demon parked in front of a
hardware store.
 

The DRIVER of that car, wearing a dirty worn out brown
trench coat with matching old wool fedora hat steps out of
the hardware store carrying a paper bag in hand. He makes
his way to his car.
 

The woman quickly rushes over to him right as soon as he
hops into his car, a dark green color with red rust etched
on the hood and hard top of the vehicle.
 

The woman hands the driver a flier.
 

​

                                                  (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                               4.
 

​

                    WOMAN
          Sir, have you seen this child?
 

The DRIVER, hidden in darkness from the lack of light.
 

Sections of his face are exposed by dim lighting.
 

He takes the flier and looks at the black and white photo of
the woman’s daughter sporting pigtails.
 

He SMIRKS, his teeth badly kept. Crooked and stained.
 

The vehicle’s cigarette lighter POPS up. The driver takes it
and lights a cigarette with the other hand then takes a long
drag from it.
 

He puffs out a white tobacco mist from his mouth. He looks
up at the rear view mirror, where a green and red
DREAMCATCHER hangs.
 

His face, again shadowed by the dim light, is that of a man
in his late 40s. A complexion smeared with dark soot.
His voice, low and gritty. Sinister even.
 

                    DRIVER
          Reward, huh? Must be a special kid.
 

                    WOMAN
          Yes, she’s the love of my life.
          It’s a hefty reward. Money doesn’t
          matter to me.
 

                    DRIVER
          Maybe you shoulda been paying
          closer attention to your kid,
          instead of letting her run around
          like that.
 

                    WOMAN
          Excuse me?
 

Her son evokes a horrid feeling in his face. A chill even
runs up his spine which makes him quiver in the drizzling
rain.
 

                    DRIVER
          I’ll make sure I’ll keep an eye on
          her.
 

He takes another long drag from his cigarette. The dim light
from the cigarette slowly exposes part of his greased up
face.
 

​

                                                  (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                               5.
 

                    SON
          Come on, mom. He doesn’t know.
          Thank you, sir. Sorry to have
          bothered you.
 

The woman and her son walk back to their car.
 

The driver turns his car on, the radio statics ON.
THE CHORDETTES song MR. SANDMAN plays out right from the
beginning of the melody.
 

He pulls away from the hardware store and drives off
disappearing into a different section of the street.
 

EXT. ABANDONED POWER PLANT - NIGHT
 

The driver of the Dodge Demon, drives up to an abandoned
power plant.
 

DO NOT TRESPASS signs adorn the front of the large plant. A
large black bird finds a spot on one of the signs and
perches on top of it. It CACKLES eerily in the silent night.
 

A small amount of drizzle falls from the sky, but just
enough to make a small puddle here and there.
 

A half moon shines brightly in the night sky that
illuminates sections of the plant with a dark blue hue.
 

The plant is in shambles, there are pipes torn down and
scattered on the greasy ground with other debris thrown
around.
 

There are lamp posts on either side that shine an orange
glow around the plant.
 

The driver, FRED KRUEGER, drives his car up a pathway
leading up to the entrance.
Out of his radio another song streams out in a soft tone,
NINO TEMPO AND APRIL STEVENS’ DEEP PURPLE.
 

He drives further down the path showing that the interior of
the plant is corroded worse than the exterior.
 

Fred carefully maneuvers past some large rusted pipes and
machinery. It appears that this machinery has not been
touched in years.
 

​

                                                  (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                               6.
 

​

The roof of his car scrapes a dangling rusted chain that
hangs from a broken pipe above him. It makes a long SQUEAL
like fingernails scratching a chalkboard as the car drives
past it.
 

Finally, Fred pulls to a stop near an entrance to the plant.
He steps out of his Dodge, grabs his dirty old fedora and
slips it onto his head. He grabs the brown paper bag and
stuffs it into one of the pockets of his trench coat.
 

The dim lighting surrounding him obscures his face only
revealing certain facial features.
 

He walks over to the back of his car and uses his keys to
pop open the trunk.
 

The SQUAWK of another large bird startles Fred. He turns to
the noise quickly, scared. His fedora stealthily shades part
of his soot-stained face but his blue eyes stand out
clearly.
 

The large bird flies across to another section of the power
plant. SQUAWKING.
 

His attention is reverted back to his trunk. A large duffel
bag lays next to some tools and construction material,
gloves, copper pipes, a spare tire, etc.
 

He removes the heavy-looking bag with two hands and forces
out a struggling GRUNT from under his breath.
 

A faint MUFFLED quiver comes out from within the duffel bag;

Fred stifles it with a quick shake.
 

He swings the duffel bag behind his back and carries it to
the entrance door.
 

He sets the duffel bag down. Something inside it moves
around. He kicks at it.
 

He uses a key to open a padded lock with chains on the front
door.
 

He pushes open the door. It makes a LOUD squeal.
 

He grabs the duffel bag and drags it inside. He shuts the
large iron door as he steps inside.
 

                                                         7.
 

INT. ABANDONED POWER PLANT - NIGHT
 

Fred uses the padded lock and chain again to secure the
front door.
 

He grabs the duffel bag again and continues to drag it
across the steel-ribbed floor.
 

Inside the building, large pipes and gauge meters adorn the
walls and ceilings. He makes his way down a pathway lit with
fluorescent lighting.
 

He takes the duffel bag up some steel steps, forcing the
duffel bag to THUMP on every step. A muffled CRY sounds off
from the bag again.
 

Fred smiles at it. Enjoying it.
 

He drags the bag across a walkway and into a larger boiler
room entrance. The bag makes another squeal.
 

                    FRED
          Shhh. Almost there.
 

INT. FRED’S DEN
 

He nears his DEN. Fashioned with a few broken lockers, work
bench, old sofa with some springs exposed, a large furnace
that continues up and down to another section of the plant
and some more pipes but larger in girth.
 

A GOAT WAILS in the distance of this gloomy dark iron
cavern. The sound ECHOES around the interior of the
building. It could be anywhere.
 

Around the den, scattered toys and dolls litter the ground.
A bouncing green ball here, a red tricycle there.
 

Loose sheets of stained fabric hang down from some thin
pipes making the room cozy, in an eerie-looking way.
 

​

                                                 (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                              8.

​
 

Freddy sets the worn out duffel bag on a dusty burnt chair.
He unravels the rope tightly wound around the top of the
duffel bag to reveal SUSAN, the missing ponytail-hair little
girl.
 

Susan’s eyes are red with tears and fear. She tries to let
out a scream, but the duct tape over her mouth prevents her

from doing so.
 

Freddy chuckles to himself.
 

                    FRED
          Look, I’ve got something for ya.
 

Freddy heads over to his workbench. He pushes over a few
items on his table to make room for the new products he
bought.
 

He grabs the paper bag from his coat pocket and empties the
copper and stainless steel metals on the table.
 

They CLANK when they strike the table.
 

Susan cries out and squirms in her seat. Freddy turns to her
with a big grin and wild sadistic eyes.
 

                    FRED (CONT’D)
          It’s almost complete. Just need to
          make a few adjustments.
 

Freddy pulls the knob on a small television set sitting on
the table.
 

The television slowly powers on igniting small bits of
static energy that CRACKLE.
 

The IMAGE on screen materializes showing a nature channel
program.
 

Freddy turns to it in amazement.
 

The images in the program shows a large GRIZZLY BEAR
protecting her cubs from a large predator.
 

A British NARRATOR, sounding like a young MICHAEL CANE,
narrates the segment on screen.
 

                    NARRATOR (V.O.)
          The mother grizzly bear protects
          her young cubs, who are off playing
                    (MORE)
 

                                                 (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                              9.
                    NARRATOR (V.O.) (cont’d)
          with each other not knowing the
          danger that looms before them, from
          an incoming predator, the black
          wolf. Now in the wolf’s defense,
          it’s also seeking a source of food
          to stay alive.
 

The grizzly bear stands up on its hind legs reaching a
massive height of 7 feet. She looks intimidating.
 

All the while, Freddy uses a metal cutter to trim a sheet of
copper and measures it to the back of his hand. He’s
satisfied and sets the copper sheet on the table.
 

He then turns on a metal grinder affixed to his work bench.
The grinder makes a loud SCREECHING sound that muffles the

British Narrator’s voice.
 

Susan’s tears begin to roll down her eyes. She looks at her
surroundings trying to find a way out.
 

                    NARRATOR (V.O.)
          This is wear the mother bear
          attacks! She uses her large
          elongated sharp claws to grab a
          hold of the wolf and uses her sharp
          teeth to bite down on the wolf’s
          neck.
 

The image on screen shows the grizzly bear’s claws. Long
black and sharp. She strikes one fierce blow on the wolf’s
face which rips a large portion out.
 

Freddy smiles WIDE as he watches the show.
 

                    FRED
          Mmmmm, so much POWER!
 

Freddy grabs an elongated dull blade from the table and uses
the grinder to make the blade sharp and pointy.
 

The sound is more intensified causing Susan to CRY out, but
the duct tape prevents her again. Her terrified face reddens
in color.
 

Freddy continues grinding another dull blade, all the while
showing a gleeful expression on his face.
 

He switches the grinder off. He stares at his sharp
instrument and blows some metallic dust off it.
 

​

                                                   (CONTINUED)
 

​

CONTINUED:                                               10.

He proceeds to shape one of the stainless steel sheets into
a cylindrical and concave shape then smooths it out with
another tool. He attaches a few more studs to one end
connecting it with a similar elongated copper cylinder to
the glove.
 

He welds the finished blades to tips of the elongated
cylinders and puts them into a bucket filled with water. The
water bubbles and steams from the hot metals. It makes a
sick HISSING sound.
 

He turns to Susan with another methodical grin on his face.
His smile quickly vanishes when he notices the chair is now
empty.
 

                    FRED (CONT’D)
          That little runt! Time to put this
          to good use.
 

He pulls out the metal contraption, an exoskeleton of sorts,
from the bucket and quickly affixes some studs onto a
tattered oily leather glove.
 

There are now four sharp blades on the fingertips of the
exoskeleton of his glove. He slips the glove onto his hands.
 

Freddy gives out a MOAN, like he seems to enjoy the feel of

the heavy bladed weapon he’s just created.
 

The glove SIZZLES in his hand. Some steam rises from it.
He stretches his fingers apart and flexes them up and down
to get the feel of it. A wide grin emerges on his face.
 

In an evil mocking voice, Fred calls out to Susan.
 

                    FRED (CONT’D)
          Suuuusssan. Freddy’s coming for
          you.
 

INT. ABANDONED POWER PLANT - CORRIDOR
 

Fred walks down the corridor disappearing into another
section of the iron, dimly lit plant.
 

The pipes that align the walls are affixed with gauges and
turn wheels that have rusted and corroded over the years.
 

The SOUND of water dripping from cracked pipes echoes from a
lonely dark corridor outlined with pipes.
 

                                                 

                                                  (CONTINUED)
 

 

CONTINUED:                                              11.
 

Fred’s SHADOW passes by one of these. He looks like
Nosferatu sneaking here and there in his shadow form.
 

                                                     CUT TO:
 

INT. ANOTHER CORRIDOR
 

Susan walks slowly across a dark corridor.
 

She cautiously looks around and crying.
She ducks behind a dirty cloth dangling from a pipe above
her.
 

The shadow of Fred hovers across this fabric from a
distance. His wicked laughter frightens Susan. She tries to
stifle her cry.
 

We see Fred’s clawed glove SCRAPE a nearby pipe. It makes a
wretched squeal that would irritate anyone.
 

Susan backs up against a large pipe. She cowers in there and
ducks under some hanging pipes.
 

Then...Fred’s footsteps get closer, stepping heavily on each
steel beam on the floor.
 

He scrapes his four blades on the walls; getting closer now.
 

Susan shuts her eyes and hides in the darkness. But she
opens them quickly noticing Fred walking past her. His
bladed glove is the only noticeable apparatus leaving the
scene. His shadow follows. He GRUNTS evilly.
 

His deep footsteps echo at a distance and soon vanish.