When it comes to the horror genre, there has been no bigger star than Robert Englund. The actor famously portrayed slasher icon Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise for three decades from the 80s to early 2000s. Now, Englund is returning to the genre with the new film Natty Knocks from acclaimed Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers director Dwight H. Little. The film just got a July release date and Englund is bringing along some other 80s horror stars to mark his killer comeback in blood.
Reported exclusively by Variety, Natty Knocks will be released day-and-date on July 21. This follows the recent trend for the hybrid model in this spooky genre. Films like Firestarter, Halloween Ends, and Five Nights at Freddy’s have all been high profile releases that have taken this questionable approach. However, in Natty Knocks case, it’s understandable given this is a smaller genre film, and it's just nice to see a new film starring Englund getting some kind of theatrical release
What’s Natty Knocks About?
Natty Knocks takes place on Halloween, following “A small-town babysitter and the kids she is looking after struggle to survive a serial killer named Abner Honeywell.” It sounds like a very standard horror set up, especially given who's involved, but that’s what makes this particular film so enticing for genre fans. Englund is joined by two other genre legends Danielle Harris and Bill Moseley. Harris is reuniting with Little who directed her in The Return of Michael Myers in 1988 and Englund who she starred alongside with in the underrated slasher gem Urban Legend. The former film jump started the actress' career, quickly propelling her into horror icon status. She would go on to star in Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, the previously mentioned Urban Legend, Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween 2, and the Hatchet franchise among other smaller genre films. Moseley on the other hand has starred in classics like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses, 1990’s Night of the Living Dead, and The Devil’s Rejects. The list of horror credits for all three main stars just goes on and on. That’s even before you get to Little who directed arguably the best and most beloved Halloween sequel in The Return of Michael Myers.
Genre Legends Unite
Englund has been getting so much love lately thanks to his upcoming documentary Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story. From the sounds of it, Natty Knocks is going to be another hellishly fun addition to the actor’s vast filmography. Whether it's his time as Freddy Krueger or his smaller roles in films like Urban Legend, many horror fans have been greatly impacted by Englund's contributions to the genre in some meaningful way.
Vertical has acquired Natty Knocks. When teasing his excitement for the film, Vertical SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi stated, “Natty Knocks immediately intrigued us given its collaboration of prolific horror icons who defined the genre for decades. The film is a testament to Dwight’s experience as a filmmaker, and we’re pleased that we were able to come on board for the project.” The producers would add, “We couldn't be happier that our indie thriller Natty Knocks has found a perfect home with Vertical,” the producers added. “Vertical is doing great things with independent distribution and we can’t wait for audiences to see the entertaining movie our talented cast and director have delivered.”
Natty Knocks is releasing day-and-date on July 21.