Richard Donner, Director of Superman and Goonies, dies aged 91

Richard Donner, Director of Superman, The Goonies and Lethal Weapon dies aged 91

Richard Donner, the Hollywood director whose films included Superman and The Goonies, has died aged 91. He passed away on Monday, his wife, the film producer Lauren Shuler Donner, told Deadline. His first major break came with 1976’s The Omen, and later produced Free Willy and The Lost Boys.

Among his best-known films as director were also the Lethal Weapon film series, the 1976 horror film The Omen, and the 1988 Christmas comedy Scrooged. Born in the Bronx, New York, Donner started in television in the early 1960s, with credits including anthology series The Twilight Zone and spy thriller The Man From Uncle. But it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that he made his mark on Hollywood. His work on 1978’s Superman starring Christopher Reeve is often regarded as the first modern superhero film. Donner directed and produced The Goonies in 1985. The comedy tells the story of a group of children hunting for a hidden treasure, and has become a cult classic. Donner kept combining directing and producing duties throughout the rest of his career, including on the Lethal Weapon film series, of which he directed four instalments between 1987 and 1998. Donner’s final credit as a movie director came with the 2006 action thriller 16 Blocks, starring Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse.