Wes Craven has passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with brain cancer, a representative has sadly confirmed.

Craven is a true master of horror, responsible for directing (and often writing) so many genre classics. Most notably, he created two beloved, successful and influential franchises: A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream.

He was directed several other cult classics, including The Hills Have Eyes, The Last House on the Left, Swamp Thing, The People Under the Stairs, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Shocker, Vampire in Brooklyn, Deadly Friend and many more.

As I’m sure is the case with many of you, this is a huge blow for me personally. Craven has been a big inspiration on me as a horror lover and an aspiring filmmaker. A Nightmare on Elm Street was one of the first horror films I ever saw, and I have Freddy Krueger tattooed on my arm. Scream was also a big influence on my first short film.

What makes this news particularly hard to take, in addition to Craven’s legendary status in the industry, is that it was never publicly known that he was sick. We can at least find solace in the fact that he is at peace.

Thank you for all nightmares, Wes.