Wes Craven began writing the screenplay for "A Nightmare on Elm Street" around 1981, after he had finished production on "Swamp Thing" (1982). He pitched it to several studios, but each one of them rejected it for different reasons. The first studio to show interest was Walt Disney Productions, although they wanted Craven to tone down the content to make it suitable for children and preteens. Craven declined. Another studio Craven pitched to was Paramount Pictures, which passed on the project due to its similarity to "Dreamscape" (1984). Universal Studios also passed; Craven, who was in desperate personal and financial straits during this period, later framed the company's rejection letter on the wall of his office, which reads in its December 14, 1982 print: "We have reviewed the script you have submitted, "A Nightmare on Elm Street". Unfortunately, the script did not receive an enthusiastic enough response from us to go forward at this time. However, when you have a finished print, please get in touch and we would be delighted to screen it for a possible negative pick up."