"A Nightmare On Elm Street" creator Wes Craven died of brain cancer. (Photo : REUTERS/MARIO ANZUONI)
Wes Craven the creator of the horror film franchise "A Nightmare On Elm Street" has died at the age of 76 following a life threatening struggle with brain cancer.
A statement quoted by the BBC which was released by his family over the weekend said the horror film director passed away at his home in Los Angeles.
The director has become synonymous with horror films much like Alfred Hitchcock is to thrillers.
Throughout Craven's career the website said he constantly experimented in taking the genre of horror movies to unpredictable heights. He helped to reinvent the industry through films such as "A Nightmare On Elm Street" and the popular "Scream" franchise which has earned more than $ 300 million in the United States alone.
The director has also been credited with reinventing teen horror films through iconic characters such as "Freddy Krueger."
In more recent years, Craven was set to develop television shows which included a new take on the "Scream" series for MTV besides working on horror novels, according to Time.
Craven's foray into the film industry began through the production of pornographic films. His first feature film "The Last House On The Left" was written, directed and edited by him and dealt with the abduction of teenage girls. Despite the film being censored in many countries it became a box office hit and was the launching pad for his career into horror films.
Since the announcement of his death, actors and directors have taken to social media to pay tribute to the horror maestro.
The list includes stars such as Courtney Cox who appeared in the director's 1996 classic "Scream" and the subsequent films which followed the franchise.
