Legendary horror director Wes Craven has died at the age of 76, following a long battle with brain cancer. The filmmaker died at his Los Angeles home on Sunday, with his passing confirmed through his official Twitter feed.
Famed for reinventing the teen horror genre with A Nightmare On Elm Street and its demonic antagonist, Freddy Krueger, Craven would go on to repeat the trick in the ‘90s, with the knowingly self-referential Scream franchise. “I tried to make movies where I can honestly say I haven't seen that before,” said Craven during a reflection on his career, “and to follow my deepest intuitions and in some cases literally my dreams.”
“Thank you for being the kindest man, the gentlest man, and one of the smartest men I've known,” tweeted Scream star, Rose McGowan. “Please say there's a plot twist.” Her sentiments were echoed by Saw co-creator Leigh Whannell, who said, “Any horror fan says goodbye to Wes Craven with a heavy heart. He gifted my generation with so many memories. Films seen through my fingers.”
Craven is survived by his wife, Iya Labunka, two children, and a stepdaughter. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
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