What was Wes Craven's Net Worth?
Wes Craven was an American film director, writer, and producer who had a net worth of $40 million at the time of his death. Craven was renowned for his trailblazing work in the horror genre, directing timeless classics such as "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "Scream," "The Last House on the Left," and "The Hills Have Eyes." Additionally, he directed the biographical drama "Music of the Heart" and the psychological thriller "Red Eye." Wes Craven passed away on August 30, 2015, at the age of 76, due to brain cancer.
Early Life and Education
Wes Craven was born on August 2, 1939, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Caroline and Paul, who raised him in a strict Baptist household. As a young adult, he moved to Illinois to attend Wheaton College, where he obtained a degree in English and psychology. Craven went on to earn his master's in philosophy and writing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
Career Beginnings
Craven began his career in academia, teaching English at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, in the mid-60s. He also taught humanities at Clarkson College of Technology in Potsdam, New York, and at Madrid-Washington High School in Madrid, New York. During his teaching years, Craven bought a used 16 mm film camera and started making short films. Through his friend Steve Chapin, he landed a job in the film industry as a sound editor. Craven later moved into editing with the 1971 film "You've Got to Walk it Like You Talk it or You'll Lose That Beat." He also worked as a director of adult films.
Feature Film Career, 1972-1999
Craven made his debut as a feature film director and screenwriter in 1972 with the horror film "The Last House on the Left." Based on Ingmar Bergman's Oscar-winning 1960 Swedish film "The Virgin Spring," the film was initially shocking for its violence, impacting Craven's career negatively at first. However, it later achieved a major cult following. His second film, "The Hills Have Eyes," released in 1977, cemented his reputation as a master of horror, launching a franchise and garnering a devoted cult audience. Craven went on to direct "Deadly Blessing" and the superhero horror film "Swamp Thing."
1984 saw the release of what is perhaps Craven's most famous and influential film, "A Nightmare on Elm Street," starring Robert Englund as the disfigured Freddy Krueger. The film was a massive box-office hit and became a touchstone for future slasher films, spawning a multimedia franchise with multiple sequels.
Following this success, Craven directed "The Hills Have Eyes Part II," "Deadly Friend," "The Serpent and the Rainbow," and "Shocker." In 1991, he had a surprise commercial hit with his horror-comedy "The People Under the Stairs." This was followed by 1994's "New Nightmare," a meta-textual take on "A Nightmare on Elm Street," and 1995's "Vampire in Brooklyn," starring Eddie Murphy. In 1996, Craven revitalized the slasher genre with "Scream," which grossed over $170 million on a budget of around $15 million, spawning a franchise with three sequels directed by Craven. He ended the '90s with the biographical drama "Music of the Heart," starring Oscar-nominated Meryl Streep.
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Later Film Career
Craven began the new millennium with "Scream 3." He then directed the werewolf horror comedy "Cursed" and the psychological airplane thriller "Red Eye," both released in 2005. After a five-year break, Craven returned with "My Soul to Take," his first film as director, writer, and producer since "New Nightmare" in 1994. His final feature film was "Scream 4," released in 2011.
Themes and Influences
Craven's films often feature disintegrating family structures, dreams that blur into reality, and self-referential black comedy. His works explore themes of trauma and abusive family relationships, evident in "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The People Under the Stairs." Craven cited numerous major filmmakers as influences, including Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Hitchcock, and Luis Buñuel.
Personal Life and Death
Craven was married three times. His first wife was Bonnie Broecker, to whom he was married from 1964 until their divorce in 1969. The couple had two children: Jonathan, a writer and director, and Jessica, a former singer-songwriter. In 1984, Craven married his second wife, Mimi, who became an actress, but they divorced in 1987. In 2004, Craven married Iya Labunka, who produced several of his films.
On August 30, 2015, Wes Craven passed away from a brain tumor at his Los Angeles home. He was 76 years old.
