Legendary Hollywood director and producer Richard Donner has died. He was 91.
Donner’s wife, the producer Lauren Schuler Donner, and his business manager confirmed the news to Deadline. No cause of death has been confirmed.
The filmmaker directed some of the most iconic films of the 1970s and 1980s including 1978’s Superman, which starred Christopher Reeve and was the first instalment in the Superman film series.
Donner was also at the helm of The Goonies in 1985 and went on to direct Scrooged in 1988. The filmmaker can be credited with revamping the buddy film genre by creating the Lethal Weapon franchise.
At the end of last year, Donner had signed on to direct Lethal Weapon 5, reuniting with stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
“This is the final one,” the filmmaker had said. “It’s both my privilege and duty to put it to bed. It’s exciting, actually… Hahaha! It’s the last one, I’ll promise you that.”
Paying his respects to Donner, comic book writer Dan Slott wrote on Twitter: “Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN is the DNA, the fundamental building block, that all good super hero movies have been built from. It was the earnest leap of faith, the single bound, that made us all believe that a man could fly.”
Richard Donner's SUPERMAN is the DNA, the fundamental building block, that all good super hero movies have been built from. It was the earnest leap of faith, the single bound, that made us all believe that a man could fly. https://t.co/I3hEJU9s2c pic.twitter.com/ev7Yb3lSHJ
— Dan Slott (@DanSlott) July 5, 2021
Doctor Sleep filmmaker Mike Flanagan also tweeted about Donner’s death. “Heartbroken to hear this,” he wrote. “What an incredible talent, what a legacy of terrific work. His films made me want to make movies.”
Heartbroken to hear this. What an incredible talent, what a legacy of terrific work. His films made me want to make movies. https://t.co/XcFlb1Htlg
— Mike Flanagan (@flanaganfilm) July 5, 2021
Edgar Wright wrote in a post: “Richard Donner’s big heart & effervescent charm shone in his movies through the remarkable performances of his cast, which is no mean feat.”
Richard Donner's big heart & effervescent charm shone in his movies through the remarkable performances of his cast, which is no mean feat. You remember all the characters in Superman, Lethal Weapon, The Goonies & more, because Donner knew how to capture that magic onscreen. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/7NDH9kKnQZ
— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 5, 2021
Donner went on to work as a producer across major Hollywood titles, including working as an executive producer on X-Men in 2000 and the following film, 2009’s prequel title X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The filmmaker is survived by his wife Lauren Shuler Donner, whom he had been married to since 1986.
The post Legendary Hollywood director Richard Donner dies aged 91 appeared first on NME.
