SlasherVerse

The **SlasherVerse** is an American multimedia franchise and shared universe that is centered on a series of low-budget slasher films based largely on the *Nightmare on Elm Street* and *Friday the 13th* franchises owned by Warner Bros. Pictures. The films are independently produced by Gravitas Studios and distributed by Warner Bros. for the HBO Max streaming service. It is the third cinematic universe owned by Raydon Entertainment following the Cascade Comics Cinematic Universe (2007—2018) and the Kaiju Universe (2022—ongoing).

The SlasherVerse will begin in 2023 with the release of *Elm Street*.

## Development

Raydon Entertainment first began development on a *Nightmare on Elm Street* film in 2012 with a 45-page script titled *Elm Street*. Heavily inspired by the 2010 reboot, the short film would have been a remake of the 1984 original, with Freddy being a child molester. Without the rights to the character, Raydon briefly considered producing the short as a non-profit fan film but eventually abandoned the project to focus on the Cascade Comics Cinematic Universe, which was preparing to release its first crossover film *The Justice Fighters Unite* that same year.

In September 2019, Bloody Disgusting reported that the film rights were reverted to Wes Craven's estate. The site also revealed in November that the estate had begun work on resurrecting Freddy, as they were actively taking pitches for a new *Nightmare on Elm Street* film. They were reportedly looking for both feature film pitches and concepts for a possible HBO Max series.

By November 2019, Brandon Barker had begun work on a script for Moonlight Pictures entitled *A Nightmare on Elm Street* that combined the original 1984 storyline with elements from the 2010 reboot as well as story inspiration from the real life case of Josef Fritzl. Later that month, *Doctor Sleep* director Mike Flanagan tweeted that he had his own pitch for a new movie. Flanagan was approached by Raydon producers in March 2020 and one month later he had signed on to co-write and direct the film based on the Barker draft. Production on the film was expected to begin in late 2020 but was pushed indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, although Barker and Flanagan were collaborating on a new script as of May 2020.

In August 2020, Mike Flanagan announced via Twitter that he would be leaving the project over creative differences saying, "I have [the most] respect for the guys over there but at the end of the day we want[ed] to make different movies." Moonlight Pictures responded by saying they were still in active development on the project and would be seeking a new director immediately while also sending their best wishes to Flanagan. As of March 2021, no further updates on the film had been made.

The SlasherVerse was officially announced in May 2021, with *Elm Street* being revealed alongside the films *Crystal Lake* and *Sleepaway Camp*.

## Films

### *Elm Street* (2023)

*Main article: Elm Street*

*To be added.*

### *Crystal Lake* (2024)

*Main article: Crystal Lake*

*To be added.*

### *Sleepaway Camp* (2024)

*Main article: Sleepaway Camp*

*To be added.*

### *A Nightmare at Crystal Lake* (2025)

*Main article: A Nightmare at Crystal Lake: Freddy vs. Jason*

*To be added.*

## Other films in development

* ***Return to Elm Street***: A possible sequel to *Elm Street*, the film would center around Freddy returning to haunt Elm Street after he is forgotten by the children that reside there. It would be set after the events of *A Nightmare at Crystal Lake*.
* ***Crystal Lake Part II: Friday the 13th***: A possible sequel to *Crystal Lake*, the film would center around the anniversary of Jason's drowning as he returns to unleash an unholy fury. It would be set after the events of *A Nightmare at Crystal Lake.*
* ***The Voorhees***: A possible sequel to *A Nightmare at Crystal Lake*, the film would center around Jason Voorhees and Angela Baker sharing a cabin and murdering unsuspecting townsfolk. Angela disguises herself as Jason's deceased mother throughout the film.
* ***Halloween — Parts 1 & 2***: A two-part film centered on Michael Myers is in development.
* ***Texas Chainsaw***: A film centered on Leatherface is in development.
* ***Scream***: A film centered on Ghostface is in development.

## Television series

 1
 2

## Related films

Gravitas Studios plan to release *Mystery Incorporated*, an R-rated adaptation of the long-running *Scooby-Doo* franchise, two months before *Elm Street*, although they are not marketing the film as part of the SlasherVerse. A proposed television spin-off titled *Crystal Cove* however, would establish the characters as part of the SlasherVerse by crossing over with *Crystal Lake* and featuring Kane reprising his role as Jason.

Prior to establishing Gravitas, Raydon Studios released the low-budget film *Night of the Living Dead: Outbreak*, a remake of the 1968 film. A sequel produced by Gravitas Studios is scheduled for an unspecified 2024 release.

## See also

* Cascade Comics Cinematic Universe
* Kaiju Universe