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The newly announced Elm Street projects spearheaded individually by Paramount and Warner Bros. have created quite the buzz among horror fans. Who will write the script? Who will direct? And finally the biggest question of all; who will play Freddy Krueger?
Fans have tossed many names into the fedora for consideration, including Kevin Bacon (They/Them), Bill Skarsgard (IT), and Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things). However, there is one fan favorite who has actively been campaigning for the role ever since Robert Englund gracefully stepped out of the running. This man is Michael Leavy.
Michael Who?
Lifelong horror fans, Leavy, brother Jason, and childhood friend Steven Della Salla established their production company Fuzz on the Lens in 2010. Fuzz is a horror focused company that helped bring the Terrifier franchise, Screamboat, and Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’ to life. Their movies are highly successful for one main reason; they are fans themselves.
Michael Leavy’s name is not unfamiliar in the horror world. He is a director, writer, and producer in the genre. Terrifier 2 and 3 as well as Stream are his most recent works. On the horizon his name is attached to Marcus Slabine’s Sundown, and the highly anticipated Stream 2: Sudden Death. In front of the camera he has grabbed acting roles not just in these movies, but also include Screamboat, Sharknado 2: The Second One, and Scary Movie 6.
But Wait, There’s More!
Leavy has worked with Englund before. In fact, he portrayed a younger version of the actor in the movie Fear Clinic. The two starred together in the genre gem back in 2014. Englund played Dr. Andover, a psychiatrist obsessed with curing patients of their phobias through dangerous and experimental practices.
In the movie Leavy portrays a younger Dr. Andover. He won the role based on his strong physical resemblance to the veteran actor, as well as his ability to mimic his mannerisms.
Furthermore, Leavy has been actively campaigning for the role. He’s hungry for it! Initially it all began as a playful musing on his facebook page with the attached hashtag #LeavyForKrueger. What he didn’t know was it would soon become a full blown petition! Currently the petition has nearly 4,000 signatures!
Snowballing quickly downhill he posted pictures of himself wearing the infamous red and green sweater, fedora, and glove. Multiple Elm Street alums including Ronee Blakely (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984), Lisa Wilcox (NOES 4 and 5) and Lochlyn Munro (Freddy vs Jason) have also announced their support.
Bringing Horror Back
#LeavyForKrueger culminated with the recently released video, Freddy’s Back. In the video Leavy portrays the Son of 1,000 Maniacs in full costume and make up. In the short film Allison Pittel (Stream) is stalked by the dream demon as she tries to survive her nightmare. The boiler room, the claws scraping along the pipes, the hiss of the steam, and that all too familiar cackle. Fuzz on the Lens brought Wes Craven’s vision back to life.
Freddy’s Back gives Leavy the opportunity to show his striking resemblance to Krueger in the burn make-up. It additionally gives him a stage to showcase his voice and mannerisms that are uncannily similar to Englund’s.
The cherry on top of the cake is the way Leavy brings back what terror is. The dark horror that made Krueger scary in the first film slowly deteriorated over the years. The franchise went into a nosedive of cheesy humor and wacky antics that made the dream demon more of a clown. However, Freddy’s Back successfully portrays Craven’s original vision of who the Springwood Slasher really is.
Without any doubt, Leavy has brought Krueger into the 21st century!
Do you think Michael Leavy has what it takes to pick up the glove? Watch his short film Freddy’s Back and tell us what you think! #LeavyForKrueger
