Wes Craven, acclaimed director of hit horror movie franchises "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Scream," died Sunday due to brain cancer. He was 76 years old.
Known for creating one of the most iconic horror movies during the '70s through the '90s, Craven died in his home in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Reporter has learned.
His death came as a shocker as his condition isn't well known to the public, and only a few of his closest friends and immediate family members knew about it.
Craven made his start in the film industry with a string of controversial Horror movies, "The Last House on The Left" and" The Hills Have Eyes." But, his biggest and perhaps his most known film happened in the '80s, "A Nightmare on Elm Street".
The horror maestro is also known as one of the pioneers of the "Slasher" genre and he was even quoted as saying once, "Horror films don't create fear, they release it," as reported by the BBC News. He is also credited for reinventing the teen-horror genre with the release of Freddy Kreuger's first film, starring a then-unknown Johnny Depp.
During the '90s, Craven parodied the very genre he created with the "Scream" film franchise. A film featuring tongue-in-cheek references to the horror genre, it was a refreshing take on the usual slasher movies at the time.
According to a report by The Guardian, Wes Craven's fascination with making movies was inspired by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.
After moving from his hometown Cleveland to New York, the young Craven discovered art house theaters where he watched films including those of Bergman's. This served as a catalyst that inspired him to create films.
Craven, reflecting on his film career, said that his intention was to always innovate, adding: "I tried to make movies where I can honestly say I haven't seen that before and to follow my deepest intuitions and in some cases literally my dreams."
He is survived by his wife Iya Labunka, his sister Carol, son Jonathan, daughter Jessica, grandchildren Miles, Max and Myra-Jean and stepdaughter Nina.
