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Richard Donner
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American filmmaker. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters", Donner directed some of the most financially successful films of the 1970s and 1980s. His career spanning more than six decades crossed genres and influenced trends among filmmakers across the world.
Donner began his career in 1957 as a television director. In the 1960s, he directed episodes of the series The Rifleman, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Fugitive, The Twilight Zone, The Banana Splits, and many others. Donner made his film debut with the low-budget aviation drama X-15 in 1961, but had his critical and commercial breakthrough with the horror film The Omen in 1976. He directed the landmark superhero film Superman in 1978, which provided an inspiration for the fantasy film genre to eventually gain artistic respectability and commercial dominance. Donner later went on to direct films in the 1980s such as The Goonies and Scrooged, while reinvigorating the buddy cop film genre with the Lethal Weapon series.
Donner and his wife, Lauren, owned a production company, The Donners' Company, which is most successful for producing the Free Willy and X-Men film franchises. Donner also produced Tales from the Crypt and co-wrote several comic books for Superman publisher DC Comics. In 2000, Donner received the President's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films.
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As director
16 Blocks
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
Timeline
Lethal Weapon 4
Conspiracy Theory
Assassins
Maverick
Lethal Weapon 3
Radio Flyer
Two-Fisted Tales
Lethal Weapon 2
Scrooged
Lethal Weapon
Ladyhawke
The Goonies
The Toy
Inside Moves
Superman
The Omen
Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic
A Shadow in the Streets
Senior Year
Lucas Tanner
Nightside
The Marshal of Madrid
Sam Cade
Twinky
Salt & Pepper
Philbert (Three's a Crowd)
X-15
As actor
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Valerie
Davi's Way
Laddie: The Man Behind the Movies
Life After Flash
Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics
Maximum Impact: The Legacy of 'Lethal Weapon'
Casting By
Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies'
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics
No Subtitles Necessary: Laszlo & Vilmos
Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
16 Blocks
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman
Superman II: Restoring the Vision
The Curse of 'The Omen'
Timeline
Taking Flight: The Development of 'Superman'
Making 'Superman': Filming the Legend
Out Cold
The Omen Legacy
666: The Omen Revealed
Conspiracy Theory
Film Music Masters: Jerry Goldsmith