Horror legend who played Freddy Krueger explains why he thinks fans are obsessed with true crime

At risk of sounding far, far older than I am, nowadays it feels like horror has completely changed, and the change is disconcerting.

Where in the past the icons of the horror genre were made up, take Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers, Leatherface, now the biggest hook you can add to a horror is ‘based on a true story’.

More than that, many fans have entirely turned to true crime as it has become a craze globally.

Robert Englund is a horror icon (Borja B Hojas via Getty Images)

Whether it’s podcasts, documentaries, or ‘based on’ thrillers – real life monsters such as Jeffrey Dahmer have replaced horror icons for many.

We recently spoke exclusively to the actor behind one of the old school horror icons, Freddy Krueger, and got his thoughts on this.

The legendary Robert Englund said when we asked why he thinks fans are so obsessed with true crime: “We've exhausted the zombies. I'm still waiting for my my favourite vampire performance.

“But because those are fanciful, I think the serial killer provides a much more grounded horror, even in something as risk taking as the performance of Nick Cage in Longlegs.

Nicolas Cage in Longlegs plays a serial killer clearly inspired by real life serial killers (NEON)

“It's still terrifying because it's grounded in reality, and I think that's why the true crime aficionados have kind of merged with horror fans and embraced the true crime serial killer, I don't know if iconic is even the right word, just a symbol of evil.”

Heather Langenkamp, the actor who played Nancy in Nightmare on Elm Street, reprised her role in the third film in the franchise.

The iconic scream queen also weighed in on the issue of true crime, saying: "I mean, it's hard for me to understand that new leaning into the psychotic [with] serial killers.

"But it's such a popular genre that, of course, people are going to just be flooding to it.

Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thompson (New Line Cinema)

“As soon as one is popular, then there'll be dozens of others to follow.

“I think it's always just a sign of a wave, you know, it's going to go up and go down.

She finished by saying “I mean, I think people like to get their blood any way they can get”.

The pair were speaking to promote the 40^th anniversary of the classic Nightmare on Elm Street.

Englund has previously stated that, ask as we might, he’s not gonna be coming back as Freddie anytime soon.

He said: “I’m too old and thick to play Freddy now,” he said. “I just can’t do fight scenes for more than one take anymore, I’ve got a bad neck and bad back and arthritis in my right wrist.

"So I have to hang it up, but I would love to cameo.”

Reporting by Emma Flint.