<i> Finis </i> for Freddy?

The producers of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series, who caught some flak for having fun with a character who tortures and murders kids, have decided that young Freddy Krueger was himself . . . an abused child.

That’s the twist in New Line Cinema’s “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare,” now being written, which will delve into Freddy’s miserable childhood.

“But we’re not doing this to excuse Freddy for what he is. We’re not saying that society turned him into a vicious child killer,” says Rachel Talalay, who’ll make her directorial debut with this, the sixth Freddy installment.

Talalay, who was involved in the first four installments of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series (producing “III” and “IV”), came up with the storyline for “VI,” which Michael DeLuca is writing.

To be depicted in flashbacks, Freddy’s childhood will include abuse by his stepfather, as well as the cruelty of classmates. Robert Englund will again star as the adult Freddy--possibly his last appearance.

“As far as I’m concerned,” Talalay says, “we will effectively kill Freddy in a way that will make it impossible to bring him back (as in the previous installments). We’ve got some real good tricks planned.

“We’re going to take him out with a bang.”