Profiled in "Hollywood Horror from the Director's Chair: Six Filmmakers in the Franchise of Fear" by Simon Wilkinson (McFarland, 2008).

Was set to direct Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987), but was replaced after creative differences with star Christopher Reeve.

Has a son, Jonathan Craven (1965) and a daughter, Jessica Craven (1968). Both from his marriage to his first wife, Bonnie Broecker.

His vision of Freddy Kruger came from a childhood memory. When he was 10 years old he looked out the window of the apartment he lived in and a drunk man dressed similar to Freddy was looking directly at him and continued to stay there looking at the window for several minutes. This scared him, so, later on he decided this will be the look for Freddy.

Developed the "evil house" premise for the computer game "Wes Craven`s Principles of Fear." Although the game won About Game`s Bronze Medal award for Interactive Fiction when the prototype was demonstrated at the 1997 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Atlanta, the game was never completed, due to the financial failure of the game`s publisher.

Co-wrote the screenplay for "Pulse" with Vince Gilligan. The script was based on Kiyoshi Kurosawa`s original Japanese horror film. Craven and Gilligan scripted the final draft in the fall of 2002 for Miramax`s Dimension Films. The production for this film should have started on October 1, 2002 in Los Angeles. On July 2003, Dimension`s chairman Bob Weinstein announced that "Pulse" would never be produced because it was too similar to The Ring (2002).

When actor-producer Robert Evans suffered a stroke May 6, 1998, Craven was having a drink with him in Evans` screening room when he collapsed in front of him. Evans later quipped, "I really scared the shit out of the king of horror."

Former son-in-law, composer Michael Maccini.

Directed a documentary about former president Bill Clinton. Craven and the film crew followed Clinton for three hours into the White House a few days before his departure. (January 2001)

He nearly turned down the option to direct the hit Scream (1996/I) because the first scene with Drew Barrymore reminded him too vividly the climax sequence of The Last House on the Left (1972), his first film.

He was the disc jockey for the campus radio station at Clarkson College, where he was a humanities professor.

His father died when he was 4-years-old.

He is an avid birdwatcher.

Donated to the Planned Parenthood/Dream Catchers Foundation charity a auction ten-minute personal phone call and two premiere tickets to his next motion picture, "Pulse". He has also donated the original mask from his movie Scream (1996/I) along with other original props. The auction started June 19, 2002 and the props auction started June 29, 2002.

In 1976 he acted in "Tales That Will Tear Your Heart Out," a project being made under the supervision of friend Roy Frumkes, who was teaching at a state university at that time. Shortly after the filming, the raw stock was mistakingly re-exposed by another student, so both days` shooting were lost.

Rumoured to have named his onscreen horror creation Freddy Kruger for a boy who used to bully him in high school.

"The" Elm Street is located in Potsdam, NY (a small town just south of the Canadian border). Craven was a Humanities Professor at Clarkson College, also in Potsdam.

Lives in Los Angeles. Has a production company with his professional partner Marianne Maddalena, called Craven/Maddalena Films.

Father of Jonathan Craven and Jessica Craven.

His films Often features strong female characters.

His characters often use elaborate booby traps, to capture the villain.

Spouse: Iya Labunka (27 November 2004 - present); Mimi Craven (25 July 1982 - 1987) (divorced); Bonnie Broecker (1964 - 1969) (divorced) 2 children

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA