‘Superman,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’ Director Richard Donner Has Died
Richard Donner, the legendary director behind such modern classics as Superman, The Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon series, has died at the age of 91.
Donner died earlier today, his rep and production company confirmed. His cause of death is not yet known.
The former actor moved behind the camera in the 1960s, directing episodes of “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,” “Gilligan’s Island,” and “The Fugitive.” He also directed the classic “Twilight Zone” episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” with William Shatner in 1963.
He even directed episodes of “Danger Island,” a segment on the wildly popular 1960s children’s series “The Banana Splits.”
This past January, Donner announced he would direct a fifth and final Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. That film’s status is now unclear.
Fox News has more on the career of Richard Donner.
He broke out as a major player in Hollywood and showbiz in 1976 when his feature film, “The Omen,” starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, catapulted the Donner into the upper-echelon of filmmakers.
With his wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, whom Donner married in 1986, the pair were often a producing powerhouse and Donner would go on to make “Free Willy” and “The Lost Boys” among a slew of other high-drawing titles that attracted the best talent in the business.
Donner executive-produced the wildly successful “X-Men” in 2000 and the prequel “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”
In 1982, Donner took his career to new heights with the period love story “LadyHawke,” which he followed up with “The Goonies” – produced in conjunction with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.
One of the many highlights of Donner’s illustrious career included the installation of the “Lethal Weapon” series in 1987, which starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, with the title generating more than $1 billion dollars in box office.
This video, posted on the Oscars YouTube channel, features Donner with the Lethal Weapon cast as he discussed his career.
Our condolences to Donner’s family, friends, and fans.
