Some say that Wes Craven was a true legend, who exploited the teen horror genre to boundless ends. But on Sunday, all that came to an end, when the legendary horror film director and writer lost his battle to brain cancer at the age of 76, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Although teen horror films had been touched upon previously with films like John Carpenter's "Halloween" in 1978, it was Craven who took the form to new heights and re-envisioned the genre in his hit 1984 horror film "A Nightmare on Elm Street."

"Nightmare" would go on to become a smash hit cultural phenomenon and spawn several sequels in the 80s. His flagship character Freddy Krueger would even meet his greatest competitor of the era, Jason Voorhees, on the big screen in the 2003 film "Freddy vs. Jason."

Craven was also well known for his 1996 genre busting, hit horror film "Scream." That franchise would go to produce three sequels and even spawn a cable TV mini-series on MTV of the same name. The freshman season will conclude its first run this Tuesday and has been green lit for a second season.

His other hit films include his breakthrough film "The Last House on the Left" in 1972, "The Hill Have Eyes" in 1977, "The People Under the Stairs" in 1991, and "Red Eye" in 2005.

In 1994, Craven revisited his "Nightmare" franchise and did a universe bending project that featured Heather Langenkamp, the actress who played heroine Nancy from the original "Nightmare" film, staring as herself in the movie, along with Robert Englund (Freddy) and Craven himself. The film was about Freddy Krueger coming into real life as a real monster and attacking the original stars in their true universe.

THR reports that Craven died at the age of 76 in his Los Angeles home after battling brain cancer. He is survived by his wife, Iya Labunka, and two children from a previous marriage.