Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994) is the seventh entry in the Nightmare on Elm Street series of slasher films. This film is not considered part of the series continuity because it takes place in "reality". The film was the first in the series since the original to be written and directed by Wes Craven. It stars Heather Langenkamp, playing both herself as well as reprising her role as Nancy Thompson. Written under the working title of A Nightmare on Elm Street 7: The Ascension, Craven set out to make a deliberately more cerebral film than recent entries to the franchise - which he regarded as cartoonish and not faithful to his original themes. Craven also mentions in the DVD commentary that the basic premise of this film originated when he first signed on to co-write A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, but New Line Cinema rejected it then.