LEGENDARY horror director Wes Craven, known for the “Scream” films, “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and more, died Sunday in his Los Angeles home of brain cancer. He was 76.

    Craven’s first feature was “The Last House on the Left,” which he wrote, directed and edited in 1972. He wrote and directed “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” with Johnny Depp, in 1984, as well as “Elm Street II.” In the 1990s he pioneered the meta horror movie with film-within-a-film “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare,” then followed with “Scream” in 1996.

    He had recently signed an overall television deal with Universal Cable Productions and television projects in development including “The People Under the Stairs” with Syfy Networks, “Disciples” with UCP, “We Are All Completely Fine” with Syfy/UCP, and “Sleepers” with Federation Entertainment. He was also executive producing the new “Scream” series for MTV.

    Craven had recently written and was to direct the “Thou Shalt Not Kill” segment. He had also been working on a graphic novel series based on his original idea “Coming of Rage” for Liquid Comics, in collaboration with Steve Niles. He was exec producer of “The Girl in the Photographs” which will premiere in Toronto.

    Born Aug. 2 in Cleveland, Ohio, the United States, he served as a longtime member of the Audobon California Board of Directors. Craven is survived by his wife, producer and former Disney Studios VP Iya Labunka, son Jonathan Craven, daughter Jessica Craven, stepdaughter Nina Tarnawksy and three grandchildren.(SD-Agencies)