Prolific horror filmmaker Wes Craven has died at the age of 76. He directed iconic horror films such as the ‘Scream’ and ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ series, and published a number of books.
Craven was best known for his work on horror films and creating the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. He also created the “Scream” series featuring the Ghostface mask. He died of brain cancer at his home in Los Angeles. He was 76 years old.
Born in Ohio, Craven studied English and Psychology and took a master’s degree in philosophy. He began his career in the film industry as a sound editor for a post-production company in New York City. Working as a pornographic film director he said later he had made “many hard core X-rated films” under pseudonyms.
He cast Sharon Stone in her first starring role for his film “Deadly Blessing” in 1981 and gave Bruce Willis his first featured role in an episode of the 1980s version of “The Twilight Zone”.
But Craven is best known for 1984’s supernatural horror film “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” the first in the franchise which included Johnny Depp in the lineup. Set in Ohio, the film centered on several teenagers who were stalked and killed in their dreams. Craven said he got the idea for the film when he lived next door to a cemetery on a street of that name in Cleveland when he was growing up.
The film met with rave reviews and went on to gross over $25m after being made on an estimated budget of just $1.8m, which it made back in the first week of its release. The film was praised for going over the boundaries between the imaginary and real. His five “Nightmare on Elm Street” films were released from 1984-89.
He followed up with the “Scream” series which were credited with reinventing the teen horror genre. The first and second “Scream” movies in 1996 and 1997 grossed more than $100m.
In 1999 he made “Music of the Heart” with Meryl Streep who was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar and, the same year, wrote his first novel, “The Fountain Society”.
Craven made a psychological thriller, “Red Eye”, in 2005 and the next year wrote and directed a romantic comedy homage to Oscar Wilde.
He continued to work on remakes, collaborations and new projects until his death.
jm/jr (AP, AFP)
