Wes Craven dies aged 76 after battle with brain cancer

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Wes Craven passed away on Sunday afternoon after battling brain cancer
Craven, who was 76-years-old, is known for directing films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream and The Last House on the Left
'Craven was surrounded by love, in the presence of his family, at his home in Los Angeles,' Craven's family said of his final moments in a statement
'Shedding tears now. A giant has left us,' wrote actress Rose McGowan on Twitter, who starred in Scream
'Today the world lost a great man, my friend and mentor, Wes Craven. My heart goes out to his family,' wrote Courteney Cox

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com

Published: 20:37 EST, 30 August 2015 | Updated: 09:03 EST, 31 August 2015

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Wes Craven passed away on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

The iconic horror director known for his work on films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream and The Last House on the Left was 76-years-old.

He had been battling brain cancer.

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Wes Craven has passed away at the age of 76 after battling brain cancer (Above in 2013)

Craven's most famous character was Freddy Kruger from the film A Nightmare on Elm Street

Neve Campbell and Rose McGowan in a still from the film Scream

His family released a statement saying; 'It is with deep sadness we inform you that Wes Craven passed away at 1pm on Sunday, August 30 after battling brain cancer. Craven was surrounded by love, in the presence of his family, at his home in Los Angeles.'

An image was also posted to his Twitter account Sunday night.

He is survived by his wife, sister, son, daughter, stepdaughter, and grandchildren.

Craven began his career in 1972 with The Last House on the Left, a film he wrote, directed and edited at a cost of less than $100,000 and went on to make over $3million.

Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning director of Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, once said of the film; 'It’s one of the greatest films ever, and now that I’ve seen it, it should be banned.'

He followed that up with The Hills Have Eyes, another massive success which made $25million on a budget of just over $200,000.

At this point he had become known as a master of horror, but it was his character Freddy Kruger that made him known worldwide.

The evil child murderer who was featured in Craven's most popular film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, had a gloved arm with razors and burns covering his entire body.

Kruger would attack his victims in their dreams, a premise so terrifying it had many people afraid to sleep after seeing the film.

The first Nightmare film premiered in 1984, and spawned countless sequels.

Craven married his third wife Iya Labunka (above in 2014) in 2004

Craven found incredible success with his first two films, The Last House on the Left (left) and The Hills Have Eyes (right)

In 1991 he directed the horror classic The People Under the Stairs, but it was the Scream franchise that introduced him to a new younger audience.

In between those films he also directed Meryl Streep to an Oscar nomination in the 1999 film Music of the Heart.

The last film he directed was the fourth installment in the Scream franchise in 2011.

The Scream films became the most successful of Craven's career and shocked audiences when the first film killed off the most famous actor in the ensemble in the opening scene.

Craven and his daughter Jennifer at the premiere of Scream 2 in 1997

'Shedding tears now. A giant has left us,' wrote actress Rose McGowan on Twitter, who starred in Scream.

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

'RIP Wes Craven. You were one of a kind. Thanks for all the years of scares and fun,' wrote Bridesmaids director Paul Feig.

Craven was born in Cleveland, and prior to coming to Hollywood earned a degree in English and Psychology from Wheaton College before going on to receive a master's degree in Philosophy and Writing from Johns Hopkins University.

He also worked behind the scenes on pornographic films before directing his first feature, though he used a pseudonym.

In a 2011 interview with The New York Times Craven said he was drawn to horror and fear because he and his brother both worried they would die at the age of 40 as that is when their father passed away.