Jackie Earl Haley, taking over for Robert Englund in the role of Freddy Krueger, is taking a sharp turn away from the campiness that characterized Englund’s approach, especially in the some of the latest entries in the Elm Street franchise.

As TAC contributor Jim Lakely astutely noted, in another thread, Haley

is going to carve out quite the character acting career from here on out. I’d certainly be looking to him if I were a casting director.

Looking at these trailers for A Nightmare On Elm Street, set for release in April, I could not agree more: