Beloved Hollywood personality, the Superman movie director Richard Donner passes away on Monday, 5th July. The sad news of his demise was given by his wife, film producer Lauren Shuler Donner. Known throughout the world for establishing his name in the superhero universe, Donner created the masterpiece Superman to make the world fall in love with his works.
Some other phenomenal works of Richard Donner include The Goonies, Lethal Weapons and The Omen, which was also his first major break. Superman was a blend of his love for the character and his passion for the film which shined bright on-screen under his skilful direction.
Donner was born in Bronx, New York and started in television as early as the 1960s where he worked on the anthology series The Twilight Zone and earned his credit for spy thriller The Man From Uncle. However, it was only in the mid-1970s that his career saw exponential growth. His 1978 Superman film starring Christopher Reeve is often considered as the first modern superhero film which has a strong fan base throughout the globe even today.
Beloved to many and having niche followers of his own, people took to the internet to pay homage as Superman director Donner passed away. Tributes flooded in from all over the world, paying respect to the man and his exceptional works.
Steven Spielberg who was the head behind the story for The Goonies said “He was all kid. All heart. All the time. I can’t believe he’s gone, but his husky, hearty laugh will stay with me always.”
Actor Mel Gibson who had earlier worked in Donner’s Lethal Weapons and Conspiracy Theory said that Donner was “magnanimous of heart and soul, which he liberally gave to all who knew him.”
Donner who had created a unique space for himself and the kind of work he produced paid his tribute to the Academy and his fellow colleagues.
“This industry is my friend, and it’s been the greatest gift in the world to me,” Donner said. “You guys are all my Oscar.”
The ring of truth in his words resonated with many and will continue to do so for many years to come. Alongside being a legendary filmmaker, Donner was a passionate animal advocate as well as spending his time rescuing dogs and ardently fighting against the captivity of killer whales. The death of Richard Donner has caused darkness to spread over Hollywood.
The world faces yet another loss in these trying times. Although the man has left us, he will continue to live on through his works.
