Richard Donner Death: Iconic Director of ‘superman,’ ‘goonies,’ and ‘lethal Weapon,’ Dies at 91!

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Richard Donald Schwartzberg (April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American director whose significant works included some of the most financially successful films of the New Hollywood era.

Film historian Michael Barson describes Donner as “one of Hollywood’s most dependable action blockbuster creators.” He had a 50-year career that encompassed different genres and filmmaking trends.

The Donners’ Company was owned by Donner and his wife Lauren and was best known for producing the Free Willy and X-Men franchises

Name  Richard Donald Schwartzberg
Birth April 24, 1930
Age 91 years
Genre American director
Death July 5, 2021
Net Worth $200 Million 

Donner also co-wrote several comic books for Superman publisher DC Comics and produced the television series Tales from the Crypt. Donner was honoured by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films with the President’s Award in 2000.

Richard Donner’s Beginnings of a Career!

Donner, who wanted to be an actor, got a small part in a TV show directed by Martin Ritt, but Ritt pushed him to seek a directing career instead and employed him as his assistant. Donner directed his first television episodes for the Steve McQueen Western series “Wanted Dead or Alive” in the early 1960s.

Throughout the decade, he directed episodes of a variety of other series, including “The Tall Man,” “Wagon Train,” “The Detectives,” “The Rifleman,” “The Eleventh Hour,” “The Lieutenant,” “The Twilight Zone,” “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “Perry Mason,” “The Fugitive,” and “The Wild Wild West,” among others.

Richard Donner’s Film Career!

Donner’s debut came in 1976 with the occult horror thriller “The Omen.” It was one of the year’s highest-grossing films, starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, and David Warner.

Donner’s next film, “Superman,” starring Christopher Reeve as the eponymous Man of Steel, was a larger smash two years later. The picture became a worldwide sensation and was the second highest-grossing film of the year.

It also catapulted Reeve to international fame, revitalised the fantasy genre, and established a precedent for many superhero films to come.

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Following the box office success of “Superman,” Donner directed the disaster “Inside Moves” in 1980. Two years later, with the comedy “The Toy,” starring Richard Pryor, Ned Beatty, Jackie Gleason, and Scott Schwartz, he had another mistake.

In 1985, two Donner-directed films, the kids’ adventure comedy “The Goonies” and the mediaeval fantasy “Ladyhawke,” found greater popularity. Both films went on to become cult favourites among moviegoers.

The buddy cop action film “Lethal Weapon,” starring Danny Glover and Mel Gibson as mismatched LAPD detectives, was Donner’s second blockbuster hit in 1987. Donner directed three sequels, which were released in 1989, 1992, and 1998.

Donner and his wife Lauren established their own production firm, Shuler-Donner Productions, in 1986, which was later renamed the Donners’ Company. “The Lost Boys,” “Delirious,” “Free Willy” and its sequels, “Any Given Sunday,” and the first “X-Men” picture were all produced by Donner’s firm.

Richard Donner’s Career in Television!

Donner returned to television in 1989 to direct episodes of the horror anthology series “Tales from the Crypt,” following his tremendous film achievements in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1992, he directed more episodes of the show, as well as a section of the horror anthology television film “Two-Fisted Tales.” Donner’s final television credit was as a producer on HBO’s “Made Men,” which starred Timothy Dalton, James Belushi, and Michael Beach and was released in 1999.

Richard Donner’s Comic Books!

Donner made a contribution to the field of comic books in addition to film and television. He was part of the new creative team on Action Comics in 2006, alongside Geoff Johns and Adam Kubert.

He worked with Johnson on the stories “Last Son” and “Escape from Bizarro World,” as well as a storey for Action Comics #1000 in 2018.

Richard Donner’s Net Worth!

At the time of his death, Richard Donner was an American director and producer with a net worth of $200 million. That was his joint net worth with his wife Lauren Shuler Donner, a fellow mega-producer with whom he has been married since 1986.

Richard Donner’s Real Estate!

The Donners formerly owned a custom-built mansion with 160 feet of ocean frontage in Maui. They listed the house for $22 million in November 2015, but only accepted $16.5 million a year later.

In Los Angeles, they own two residences. The first is a modest residence in Beverly Hills. The second is a more magnificent 1.2-acre property in the Hills above the Sunset Strip. They also own the adjacent 1.25-acre property. On the first parcel, there is a 9,000-square-foot mansion.

Richard Donner’s Death!

Richard Donner, a veteran filmmaker who directed blockbuster and legendary films like “Superman,” “The Goonies,” and the “Lethal Weapon” trilogy, has died. He was 91 years old when he died.

Lauren Schuler Donner, Donner’s producer-wife, confirmed his death to Deadline on Monday. She did not, however, identify the cause of his death.

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