Wes Craven, the modern horror mastermind behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, The Hills Have Eyes and more, has died of brain cancer aged 76.
U.S. media reported that Craven passed away at his Los Angeles home on Sunday.
Craven actually started out directing porn, believe it or not, but wrote and directed his first feature film The Last House on the Left in 1972.
He re-energised the horror genre with A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, which he wrote and directed. The Scream franchise, meanwhile, is believed to have grossed more than $100m (£65m) in the U.S. alone.
He was still working up until his death and had recently signed deals to develop television programmes, including the new Scream series for MTV, as well as working on a graphic horror novel series.
Reflecting on his amazing career, Craven once said in an interview, “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”.
Following the news of his death, Craven’s peers in Hollywood and beyond took to Twitter to share memories and tributes for the departed director:
Craven is survived by his wife, three children and three grandchildren. RIP Wes.
