July 5 (UPI) — Richard Donner — who directed classic films such as The Omen, Superman, The Goonies, Ladyhawke and Lethal Weapon — has died at the age of 91.
His wife, producer Lauren Schuler Donner, confirmed the New York native’s death to Deadline Monday, while his production company broke the sad news to Variety.
The cause has not been disclosed.
Director Richard Donner, actors Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, actress Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve on set of the Warner Bros movie “Superman ” in 1978. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Actor Jeff Cohen, actor Robert Davi, actor Corey Feldman, director Richard Donner, casting director Mike Fenton, actress Lupe Ontiverso, actor Joe Pantoliano and actor Ke Huy Quan attend the Warner Bros. 25th Anniversary celebration of “The Goonies” on October 27, 2010 in Burbank, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Donner’s other movie credits include Superman II, Inside Moves, The Toy, Scrooged, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, Lethal Weapon 4, Maverick, Conspiracy Theory, Assassins, Timeline and 16 Blocks. He was also an executive producer on The Lost Boys, and the Free Willy and X-Men franchises.
He and Shuler Donner have been married since 1985.
Danny Glover, Richard Donner and Mel Gibson arrive at The Academy Celebrates Filmmaker Richard Donner at Samuel Goldwyn Theater on June 7, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images)
Filmmaker Kevin Smith was one of the first celebrities to mourn Donner’s death Monday.
“Richard Donner made the devil a child in The Omen, invented the modern day comic book movie with Superman, and reinvented the buddy cop movie with Lethal Weapon. I got to meet with him last year about a project. Guy was a natural born storyteller. Thanks for all the flicks, Dick!” Smith tweeted.
“Richard Donner had the biggest, boomiest voice you could imagine.He commanded attention and he laughed like no man has ever laughed before. Dick was so much fun. What I perceived in him, as a 12 year old kid, is that he cared. I love how much he cared,” Goonies co-star Sean Astin wrote.
“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,” writer-director Edgar Wright posted.