Legendary film director Wes Craven has passed away at the age of 76. He had reportedly been suffering from brain cancer.
Best known for his work on the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream franchises, Craven is often credited with reinventing the horror genre in the mid-1980s.
Craven kicked off his career in 1972 with the The Last House on the Left. The film shocked audiences with its graphic depictions of torture and violence, but made Craven a household name amongst horror aficionados.
He followed that up with the 1977 with The Hills Have Eyes, a gory, but surprisingly smart offering that earned Craven his first festival award and gained him the notice of astute critics.
Though best known for his ability to frighten audiences, Craven’s comedic talents are often evident in both his slasher flicks (The Scream films hold up as wickedly clever send-ups of the genre that made him famous.), as well as in some of his lesser-known departures from the world of horror.
After hitting it big with his most famous creation – the wisecracking dream invader Freddy Krueger – Craven developed a sitcom, directed Meryl Streep in 1999’s Music of the Heart, and contributed a segment to 2006’s Paris, je t’aime, along with filmmakers such as the Coen brothers and Alfonso Cuaron.
Craven is survived by two children. Tributes from horror fans and celebrity collaborators have already begun pouring in on social media.