Wesley Earl "Wes" Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015)

LOS ANGELES (AP) –  Wes Craven, the prolific writer-director who thrilled
audiences with iconic and bloody suburban slashers like "Nightmare on Elm
Street" and "Scream" that made his name synonymous with horror, has died.

In a statement, Craven’s family said that he died in his Los Angeles home
Sunday, surrounded by family, after battling brain cancer.

A prolific writer, director and editor, Craven is credited with reinventing the
teen horror genre with the 1984 release of "A Nightmare on Elm Street"
starring a then-unknown Johnny Depp.