Wes Craven, the famed American film director of horror genre known for the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ and ‘Scream’ franchises, died Sunday (August 30) after a battle with brain cancer. He was 76.
Craven, whose iconic Freddy Krueger character horrified viewers for years, died at his home in Los Angeles, according to Hollywood Reporter.
The five ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ films were released from 1984-89 and drew big crowds.
Similarly, his ‘Scream’ series was a box-office sensation. In them, he spoofed the teen horror genre and frequently referenced other horror movies.
Craven’s first feature film was ‘The Last House on the Left’, which he wrote, directed and edited in 1972.
In 1999, he directed the drama ‘Music of the Heart’ that earned Meryl Streep, its lead actress, an Academy Award nomination for best actress.
Craven again pushed the genre boundaries with the 2005 psychological thriller ‘Red Eye’ and in 2006, he wrote and directed a romantic comedy homage to Oscar Wilde as a segment in the French production ‘Paris Je T’aime’, a collection of 18 vignettes set in Paris.
There are over 50 movies in his resume which he directed, produced or wrote the script.
