Wes Craven passed away today at the age of 76 after a battle with brain cancer, according to multiplereports. The legendary horror filmmaker created the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and directed the entire Scream franchise, making him one of the fathers of slasher flicks. Craven is also behind The Hills Have Eyes and The Last House on the Left franchises, directed five episodes of The Twilight Zone, and penned two books.
Craven made his feature film debut with The Last House on the Left in 1972. He went on to launch the pivotal Nightmare on Elm Street franchise in 1984 and strike gold again with Scream in 1996. Throughout his career he wrote, directed, or produced dozens of films and lent himself to several cameos. His most recent work included several Freddy Krueger shorts.
Fellow horror icon John Carpenter, who directed Halloween, said on Facebook: "My friend Wes has left us too soon. He was truly an Old School director. I had a great time directing him. I'm REALLY gonna miss him."
Related Stories
Permanent Midnight: 30 Years After "A Nightmare on Elm Street," Modern Horror Hasn't Matched Its Originality
Thirty years after Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street," why can't modern-day horror match its originality?
Infographic: How Many Screams Are In The "Scream" Movies?
Find out who gets shook the most, as well as the total number and types of shrieks that the Ghostface killer has earned in this film franchise.
