Who can forget the Superman movie released in 1978? It was one of the most successful and critically acclaimed movies based on the red-caped Kryptonian of all times. Sadly, the director of the film, Richard Donner, left the world on July 5, 2021, at the age of 91. The news was announced to the world by Donner’s wife and production company via Variety. How he died is yet to be revealed.
Donner embarked on his Hollywood career as an actor when he got into the cast of a TV show directed by Martin Ritt. He later took the job to assist Ritt in his next project and discovered his love for directing. He soon began directing TV commercials and got the first big break in the 1961 feature film, X-15. The Omen was his first major success as a director before Superman: The Movie’s release in 1978. The character was brought to life by Christopher Reeves and the movie fulfilled Donner’s desire to see a comic book hero on the big screen. Donner was an inspirational figure for many present day directors working for DC and Marvel. One of these directors was Zack Snyder.
As soon as the news surfaced on the net, people paying their tributes to the late director. Many users felt that a legend was lost and the hole can never be filled. Other than Superman, Donner also worked on films such as The Goonies, X-Men, Lethal Weapon, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine.