July 24 (UPI) -- Director Chuck Russell died Wednesday. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed his death Friday after TMZ was first to report.
Russell's wife, Anna, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he died unexpectedly in their San Diego home. He was 74. Russell's attorney confirmed to Variety.
A writer and producer on 1983's Dreamscape and line producer on The Hearse, Russell made his directorial debut with 1987's A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
A writer, with Frank Darabont, on the film, the entry introduced teenagers teaming up in dreams to battle Freddy Krueger in their sleep, Freddy's backstory as the "son of 100 maniacs," and deriving power from the souls of teens he killed.
His follow-up was a remake of The Blob with updated prosthetic and makeup effects. His 1994 film, The Mask, confirmed Jim Carrey's ability to open blockbuster movies, following the surprise success of Ace Ventura: Pet Detective earlier that year.
