Horror film king Wes Craven dead at 76

Horror film master Wes Craven, who redefined the genre in the 1980s with "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and again in the 1990s with "Scream," has died after a battle with brain cancer. He was 76.

Craven died on Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, "surrounded by love, in the presence of his family," a statement said.

Craven was the mastermind of 1984's "A Nightmare on Elm Street," which gave moviegoers Freddy Krueger, the terrifying scarred villain with the razor-blade glove, a rumpled fedora and an arsenal of one-liners as he killed.

A decade later, he gave the world "Scream" -- reintroducing himself to a new generation of teens with a classic slasher film that spoofed the genre and reinvented it. He went on to direct all three sequels.

Both franchises spawned multiple sequels.  The "Scream" franchise even led to the series of successful "Scary Movie" parodies.

They also launched careers. The first "Nightmare" film featured a then-unknown actor -- Johnny Depp.

Craven's eye for young talent also saw him cast Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis in their first major roles -- Stone in the 1981 horror flick "Deadly Blessing" and Willis in a 1985 episode of "The Twilight Zone" revival, which Craven directed.

Actor Robert Englund -- whose career has been defined by his portrayal of Krueger, a child murderer burned to death by angry parents whose spirit then stalks his victims in their dreams -- hailed Craven as a "true Gentleman."

"RIP Wes Craven, my director, my friend. A brilliant, kind, gentle and very funny man. A sad day on Elm St and everywhere. I'll miss him," Englund tweeted.

Richard Potter, a movie writer and producer who worked with Craven on the "Scream" franchise, told AFP: "He made nightmares seem real -- the things that scare you in your subconscious can harm you, get to you."

- Tributes pour in -

The first "Scream" movie featured Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Drew Barrymore, and told the story of a US high school targeted by a cloaked killer called Ghostface, who wears a ghoulish mask based on "The Scream" painting by Edvard Munch.

"Today the world lost a great man, my friend and mentor, Wes Craven. My heart goes out to his family," Cox tweeted.

The Ohio native, who once taught English, had a graduate degree in philosophy and writing.

His first directorial effort, "The Last House on the Left" in 1972, established him as a force in the realm of horror thrillers.

Five years later, he wrote and directed "The Hills Have Eyes" -- about a family stranded in the desert, where they are stalked by a group of savages.

"Swamp Thing" followed, along with a "Hills" sequel, but it was "Nightmare" and Freddy Krueger -- one of the great horror villains of all time -- that sealed Craven's legacy.

"My friend Wes has left us too soon," said director John Carpenter, whose films include such classics as "Halloween" -- which featured another great horror villain, Michael Myers -- and an adaptation of Stephen King's "Christine."

"He was truly an Old School director," Carpenter posted on Facebook.

Other accolades poured in as word of Craven's passing lit up social media.

Legendary producer Bob Weinstein said he was "heartbroken" at the news of Craven's death.

"He was a consummate filmmaker and his body of work will live on forever," Weinstein said in a statement to Variety magazine.

Potter praised Craven's cinematic smarts and his ability to build characters.

"He was such a genuinely nice guy," Potter said. "You felt like you were talking to your favorite professor."

While his name will forever be linked with horror films, Craven also veered from the genre -- with success.

He directed "Music of the Heart," a 1999 movie about a music teacher that earned Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination for best actress.

"Thank you for being the kindest man, the gentlest man, and one of the smartest men I've known. Please say there's a plot twist," tweeted actress Rose McGowan, a "Scream" veteran.

Gratitude also came from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"Thank you for the nightmares," the Academy said on Twitter.

Craven is survived by his wife Iya Labunka, two children from a previous marriage, a stepdaughter and three grandchildren.