Horror director Wes Craven dies aged 76

Wes Craven, the renowned filmmaker who made slasher horrors like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, has died at the age of 76.

The veteran passed away last night having been suffering from brain cancer.

Born in 1939, Craven made his directional debut in 1972 when he helmed the first of many gruesome horrors, The Last House on the Left. The film was later remade in 2009.

Five years later, he made the creepy flick The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and also directed its sequel The Hills Have Eyes II (1984).

It was in the 80s where his filmmaking career shone as he continued to redefine the horror genre with his 1984 blockbuster hit A Nightmare on Elm Street, which allowed him to create the iconic character Freddy Krueger. He later wrote the screenplay for the film’s subsequent sequels.

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After directing some episodes of The Twilight Zone and making other low-budget films, Craven set up his second major horror franchise in the form of Scream (1996).

The film starred Courtney Cox (Friends) and Drew Barrymore (E.T: The Extra Terrestrial) with the latter star involved in one of the most iconic moments in horror film history (see clip below).

Like Elm Street, Scream was a big hit at the box-office and went on to spawn three sequels, all of which were directed by Craven.

He did go down a different route in 1999 when he helmed the Harlem-based school drama Music of the Heart, starring the great Meryl Streep. That same year also saw him being a published author with his book Fountain Society.

As with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Quentin Tarantino, Craven also enjoyed making cameos in his own films and also appeared as himself in the Kevin Smith comedy Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001).

In his later years, the director made the psychological thriller Red Eye (2005) which starred Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy as well as the French rom-com Paris, je t’aime (2010). Coincidentally, Scream 4 (2011) was to be his final feature.

Craven is survived by his wife, producer and frequent collaborator Iya Labunka.

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