A poster for a mystery TV series entitledFredfooled the internet into believing thatRob Zombiehas been working on a new TV series based onA Nightmare on Elm Street. However, as is often the case, things are not entirely as they seem, and the poster is not for a real series, but is a fake concept created by online content creatorYODA BBY ABY.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
On Elm Street, Nancy Thompson and a group of her friends (comprising Tina Gray, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz) are being tormented by a clawed killer in their dreams named Fred Krueger. Nancy must think quickly, as Fred tries to pick them off one by one. When he has you in your sleep, who is there to save you?
The poster, which can be seen below, came with a very detailed description that not only laid out the synopsis of a 10-part series featuringhorror icon Freddy Krueger, but also stated that the series would be coming to Max this October. That synopsis read:
“Get ready for a chilling journey into the origins of terror withFred– 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.”
Despite being able to fool many people into believing that the poster and concept were for an actual show, the fabled project is just another instance of the internet’s weird ability to blur the lines between what is fake and what is real. For anyone who visits the Facebook page of YODA BBY ABY, it is clearly stated that the page specializes in satirical offerings and nothing you see there is real. However, once this kind of poster makes its way elsewhere on social media, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern the truth.
Some Fake Teases Have Become Reality, Others Never Will
Whether it is through a time-consuming labor of love, or typing a few words into an AI Chatbot, the internet is constantly able to provide fake posters, trailers and even sometimes whole movies in abundance. Recently, this included a fake trailer forBack to the Future 4featuring Tom Holland in place of Michael J. Fox, and Daniel Radcliffe becoming Wolverine in a trailer for an alternate version ofThe Wolverine.
However, while most of these fake trailers are never going to be anything other than fan-fantasies, there have been some that have managed to break out of their bubble to become real projects in their own right. Last year,Eli Roth delivered his slasher movieThanksgiving, which was based on a fake trailer he created for Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’sGrindhousedouble bill back in 2007.
Thanksgiving: How Eli Roth’s Fake Trailer Turned Into a Real Slasher Horror
It took Eli Roth fifteen years to transform Thanksgiving from a two-and-a-half-minute trailer into a feature film.
For several years, fake posters forBeetlejuice 2were constantly being shared across the internet. Now we are about to seethe real sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy fantasycome to fruition, so the question is, could we see “Rob Zombie’sFred” follow in those footsteps and become a real series? Only time will tell, but currently, there are no plans known to be in place for any newA Nightmare on Elm Streetprojects.
The realA Nightmare on Elm Streetfranchise can be rented or purchased from usual outlets.
