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 Shuler 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.
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.
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.
