Neve Campbell After ‘Scream’ Director Wes Craven’s Death: ‘Our Lives Would Not Be What They Are’
Neve Campbell paid her tribute to the late Wes Craven with a touching memoir. The star of the clever slasher parody Scream says her life wouldn’t have been the same without him.
Called the master of horror, Craven was the man who created Freddy Kreuger, arguably one of the most iconic and imaginative icons in the genre. A Nightmare on Elm Street helped launch not only a classic horror series, but also the career of Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp, who played the boyfriend to the series’ protagonist Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp). The series had become so successful that Freddy Kreuger actor Robert Englund saw eight follow-ups, including a crossover with Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees.
Wes Craven was at the helm of only two of the Nightmare films, which are arguably the best in the series. He directed the 1984 original and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare before Michael Bay took the reins for a remake starring Watchmen‘s Jackie Earle Haley.
Neve Campbell leads tributes to Wes Craven http://t.co/D0qnRA4xNv pic.twitter.com/TKZqy1Meox
— Film-News.co.uk (@FilmNewsWeb) September 1, 2015
Scream was where Neve Campbell got her break. The series only saw four films, but it was enough to leave the ghost-faced killer among Hollywood’s horror elite. It wasn’t serious horror, actually being a meta spoof on modern day slasher films, complete with a guy who was notorious for pointing out horror movie cliches, and a fake movie built into the story.
Wes Craven, the director of these series, lost a battle with brain cancer last Sunday in Los Angeles, in a report by Yahoo News.
Neve Campbell played the role of Sidney Prescott, a girl plagued with family issues in a town plagued by a killer bent on targeting her. Entertainment Weekly reports that on Monday, Neve came forward with her own tribute to the horror legend.
“We lost a great deal of magic yesterday. I’m devastated to hear of Wes’s passing. My life wouldn’t be what it is without him. I will be forever grateful for his brilliant direction, his wicked sense of humor and his consummate kindness and friendship. He has entertained us all for decades and inspired so many to follow in his path. I loved Wes dearly and will miss him always. Thank you Wes!!!
Little did we know that our few months in the sleepy little town of Santa Rosa, California would give birth to one of the highest-grossing films of that decade and bring about a resurgence in a genre that had been deemed dead for years. Little could we comprehend the great success each of us would be gifted from having the opportunity to make ‘Scream’ with the great Wes Craven.
Rest in peace, Wes! We’ll continue to watch your films and not sleep peacefully at all.”
Much like Neve Campbell, we will all miss Wes Craven and the impact he made on the horror film world.
[Image via Kevin Winter / Getty Images]
