Superman, The Goonies director Richard Donner dies at 91
Richard Donner, the famed director of Superman, The Goonies, The Omen, and the Lethal Weapon series, died on Monday. He was 91.
A Warner Bros. spokesman confirmed Donner's death, but did not reveal the cause. Steven Spielberg, executive producer of the 1985 hit The Goonies, released a statement praising Donner, saying he "had such a powerful command of his movies, and was so gifted across so many genres. Being in his circle was akin to hanging out with your favorite coach, smartest professor, fiercest motivator, most endearing friend, staunchest ally, and — of course — the greatest Goonie of all."
Prior to getting into the movie business, Donner was a successful television director, working on The Fugitive, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and was also behind the classic Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." Along with his wife, Lauren Shuler Donner, he produced several blockbusters, including X-Men and Free Willy.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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