R.I.P. Superman and Lethal Weapon director Richard Donner
Richard Donner, who paved the way for superhero movies' mainstream moment with Superman and helmed such hits as Lethal Weapon, The Omen, and The Goonies, was 91
Film News Superman
Richard Donner, the director of such blockbusters as Superman, the Lethal Weapon series, and The Omen, has died. Donner’s wife and longtime producing partner, Lauren Shuler Donner, confirmed the news to Deadline. No cause of death has been reported. He was 91.
Once an aspiring actor, Donner earned his first directing credits on a number of primetime series of the 1960s and ’70s: Westerns like The Rifleman and Have Gun—Will Travel; detective dramas Kojak and Cannon; even early installments of both Get Smart and Gilligan’s Island. In his first of six turns in the Twilight Zone director’s chair, Donner oversaw one of the supernatural anthology’s most memorable episodes, pitting William Shatner against a fear of flying and a fearsome gremlin in the Richard Matheson script “Nightmare At 20,000 Feet.” (It was a genre he’d return to later to, producing and directing Tales From The Crypt on HBO.)
The versatility of Donner’s TV résumé would be reflected in his film work, beginning with 1961’s X-15. A dramatization of NASA’s experiments in suborbital flight starring Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore, X-15’s promotions blared that it was “ACTUALLY FILMED IN SPACE!” It would take another 15 years and a similarly bold tagline (“You have been warned”) for the film that would establish Donner’s big-screen foothold: The Omen, with Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, and young Harvey Spencer Stevens as the future Antichrist.
On the heels of The Omen’s box office success, producer Alexander Salkind offered Donner $1 million to direct Superman, the first big-budget, feature-length adaptation of a superhero comic. In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Donner—a childhood fan of the Man Of Steel—recalled being appalled by the screenplay’s first draft. After getting “a little stoned,” pulling on the Superman costume that had been delivered with the script, and summoning writer Tom Mankiewicz (who was taken aback to find his friend wearing Clark Kent’s red cape), Donner made a fateful declaration: “The most important thing when you look at it is this: Make a love story. And prove a man can fly.” With Juilliard-trained newcomer Christopher Reeve in the title role, Margot Kidder opposite him as Lois Lane, and Oscar-winning special effects that made good on that “man can fly” bit, Superman birthed the modern superhero epic. What was then the most expensive film ever made (due in no small part to hefty paydays for Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman) grossed more than $300 million worldwide. Though Donner was hired to shoot Superman and Superman II simultaneously, and had nearly completed both by the fall of 1977, he was ultimately fired from the sequel and replaced by A Hard Day’s Night director Richard Lester. (Donner’s cut of Superman II received a DVD release in 2006.)
After recovering with the Richard Pryor-Jackie Gleason comedy The Toy in 1982, Donner’s career could’ve been further sidetracked by the lackluster box-office performance of 1985’s medieval fantasy Ladyhawke. (Silver lining: It was during the production of Ladyhawke that he and Shuler Donner fell in love.) Fortunately for the director, he had another adventure film set for release two months later: Sleepover fixture The Goonies. From that family-friendly, Steven Spielberg-produced treasure hunt, Donner pivoted to the R-rated buddy-cop action of Lethal Weapon in 1987, the first in a decade-long string of films that paired him with star Mel Gibson. Between that film and its 1989 sequel, Donner gave A Christmas Carol a late-’80s, yuppie spin with Scrooged.
It was during this time that Donner began producing films from other directors (frequently alongside Shuler Donner), including The Lost Boys, the Free Willy movies, and Any Given Sunday. In 2000, Donner helped kick off another evolution in superhero filmmaking as an executive producer on X-Men.
108 Comments
He’s getting screwed on production deals in Heaven now.
Goddammit goddammit goddammit.
Check out his detailed interview a few years back on Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast. Very insightful stuff.
Link.https://www.gilbertpodcast.com/richard-donner/
is Gilbert doing a bunch of shtick during the talk or is he asking insightful questions?
Gilbert is a fan of Michael Dunn and Wild Wild West so he was asking about working with him. Mainly questions like that, what was it like working with Hackman, Gregory Peck, etc. I have been watching a lot of Wild Wild West lately and Dunn had a fun energy with that character.
Where is Wild Wild West streaming or is a DVD collection?
A collection. It played on Me-TV for while on Saturdays but they only played the color episodes.
He does the podcast with another guy who is very knowledgeable about film and asks the good questions, while Gilbert keeps it light and fun. It’s a great interview.
Agree. The two of them together make a good team. Good questions (maybe not super deep, but set up great stories) and usually funny. If absolutely nothing else, this is one of the only podcasts to talk to these folks and hear from them in their twilight years. And you can tell there’s respect from Gilbert & Frank. I love Barney Miller…where else am I going to hear from Hal Linden these days?
Definitely check out the podcast if you’re a fan of (or interested in) the subject!
I recommend Gilbert Gottfried’s podcast. His co-host (Frank Santopadre) is good at keeping things on track, and Gilbert defers to him when it comes to movie knowledge. They’re a good team. I can’t really list my favorite guests, because there have been way too many.
I haven’t been able to look at an orange wedge (or even a tangerine) in the same way since I started listening to GGACP.
Come on.
Somebody mention Ladyhawke, or— is it really still AVC…?
OF HAWKE!
I love you, you filthy whore!
🙂
He’ll get into Heaven for putting Jet Li in Lethal Weapon 4
91 is a good age to pass away at. RIP and thank you for Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke is a superb movie and Michelle Pfeiffer is do die for. However, whoever chose the music for it, deserves to be skewered on a longsword flung by a very strong and sexually frustrated knight. It’s jarring and doesn’t fit at all with the atmosphere of the movie.
I had always hoped that Donner would go back and have the movie rescored or at the very least have had a 2nd audio track on the dvd/blu ray with an alternate score.
I remember we watched this in school for some class (I wanna say English or History nominally, but frankly it was probably just a dodge week), and the teacher was livid about the music. Seriously, she made it a point to teach us how the music was utterly inappropriate. I think we thought it was going to be part of a test or something.(I actually partly credit this soundtrack for my present love of synthwave, so I feel like I might have failed that test.)
Ladyhawke … whoever chose the music for it, deserves to be skewered Yeah, and Matthew Broderick can’t keep whatever accent he was trying, and there are hammy bits from almost everyone, and I guess the plot is a bit silly. But I love the movie beyond all reason.
Goonies never say die!
RIP. Made some of my favourite movies from my childhood and teenage years. He leaves behind an incredible legacy.
Same here.
Forgive him the magic Cheerios box. Or include it as part of his late 70’s filmmaking legacy. Cheerios probably paid for this scene! I could see WB being like, “wtf is this sappy shit?”The rest didn’t have to be shot this way, but it’s so good. So good.(Title says “3 Hour…” this clip is only 3.5 minutes.)
I’m sitting here listen to the Donner & Mankiewicz commentary. They got $20,000 to put that Cheerios box in the movie.
Considering my grandparents fed me and my brothers a steady, Cheerios-based diet during every visit, this was the most realistic part of the movie for me and I never questioned it.
Like she’s gonna be feeding Clark Sugar Smacks.😏
Jaws 2 had an epic Cheerios scene too. Cheerios must have had a Hollywood guy on a serious hit-streak.
So so so so so good. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it, and it’s not been far from my mind for a few decades. “Don’t ever forget us, son.”
“Earth’s yellow sun”, my eye – his power comes from a good breakfast.
RIPMaverick’s a good fun movie too.
Immediately after graduating college but before moving to the city I would eventually call home about 5 months later, I spent a good 60% of my time that summer watching “Maverick” endlessly play on HBO and it’s friggin’ delightful.
It’s standard now that we must first disclaim before we praise.
I love that movie an unreasonable amount.
Maverick is my Richard Donner movie.
Mel Gibson has sure done a lot of shitty things, but his charm and abilities as an actor were top-tier for a good, long while.
Gibson’s a shitstain personally but hot take his Hamlet was better than Branagh’s.
I really should watch the Gibson version. I’m semi-embarrassed that I love the Branagh version, though my sense is that most people (well….most people who give a shit about Hamlet adaptations) view it as overly-hammy and bloated. I don’t disagree, but love it all the same. 🙂
Yeah, Branagh’s Hamlet is rough. One problem is that they seemed to use the “full folio” version of the text, which combines everything so there’s a ton of redundancy (and also never would’ve been performed in Shakespeare’s time). And because of that, there’s the sense that everyone is blasting through their lines as quickly as possible just to keep the run-time somewhat reasonable. I was also kind of annoyed at Branagh’s whole “I’m the king of Shakespeare” thing he did in the 90s (I swear, he would’ve cast himself as Othello). I also didn’t particularly care for his portrayal of Hamlet, the character, or most of the directorial decisions (like making the ghost a weird giant?) Though it was very pretty.
Gibson’s Hamlet is carved way down, but it’s much more entertaining to watch. Plus, in the 90s, if wanted someone to be batshit nuts but charmingly batshit nuts, Gibson was your guy.
For my money, though, the best Hamlet film adaptation is the David Tennant/Patrick Stewart one from 2009. Blacked-out stage, minimal set dressing, barely any costuming, it’s great.
Yeah I went into Branagh’s Hamlet really wanting to like it and . . . not. Watched it for classes as an English major and also tried to watch for fun, and it never landed for me, though it is pretty to look at and I think Winslet is one of the better Ophelias I’ve seen. I have learned I like Branagh as an actor and as a director, but I never like when he directs himself. I think he needs someone to rein him in. I didn’t think the Gibson Hamlet was the best, but it was better than I expected it to be, as was his performance. My favorite Hamlet is Derek Jacobi’s, with Patrick Stewart as Claudius. The set and production qualities are atrocious, and it is like sitting through a slow death when Jacobi isn’t on the screen, but I loved his interpretation of the character far more than any other I’ve watched. I also really enjoyed the glimpse of Richard E. Grant as Hamlet in Withnail and I. I would have watched the shit out of a Grant as Withnail as Hamlet adaptation.
I still defend the Lawrence Olivier version…
Not that surprising, considering Olivier was the gold-standard of “How To Do Shakespeare” for how many decades? But man there are some, let’s say, interesting directorial and music choices there. Plus, it was still Shakespeare as oh so sophisticated and actorly, which doesn’t play very well to modern audiences, and doesn’t really capture Shakespeare’s text, either. I mean, just looking at his “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy . . . dude seems sleepy, not contemplating the benefits of suicide. (Until the music barges into the scene, which, again, weird choices.)
Yeah his work is very dated to the 1940s. Oliviers take on Henry the 5th is incredibly 1940s centric.
I’ve noticed this with a lot of older movies, did the music directors in the 40s and 50s just . . . not watch the movies they were making music for? So often the mood of the music is just wildly, jarringly different than the mood of the rest of the scene. I mean, there are a lot of different scenes I could envision that first 30 seconds of music leading into, “To Be or Not To Be” is the opposite of any of them.
The film does have that ivory tower and vanity project feel. Music wise lord knows what the producers figured.
The energy and tone of the Gibson/Zeffirelli version put it over the top. It feels grimy despite being beautifully costumed. No mean feat.
If it’s good enough for Cher Horowitz, it’s good enough for me.
Dumb take. I have seen or listened to at least 15 Hamlets and Gibson’s take was one of the worst. Easily. Bug-eyed and mannered, Gibson displayed little vocal command of the language or grasp of any of the intellectual demands of the part. Acting opposite Paul Scofield (one of the greatest Hamlets) served to place a spotlight on Gibson’s technical and emotional limitations as a performer. Only Hawke’s interpretation was worse.
It’s a fair cop that Gibson is the worst part of the Gibson Hamlet.I’d still rather watch it than the Branagh version.
Still a bad take.The Zeffirelli film cuts all the other characters down to caricature: Claudius is a boorish drunk, Gertrude is winsome, Ophelia is confused, Polonius is doddering.With the exception of Paul Scofield, none of the actors are given a time to shine because Zeffirelli is focused on managing to get something out of the empty shell that is Gibson, who cannot sell the character’s dimensions or deliver an adequate line reading.Gibson is awful and manages to bring down the rest of the ship.
Hands down my favourite Mel Gibson film and one of the best movie adaptions of a tv show. I really like how James Garner isn’t just on screen as a nod to the original series and actually plays an important part to the film’s plot.Also I don’t think I’ve seen Jodie Foster have so much fun in a role, not sure she’s done any comedy since.
That was a good and fun film. My dad loved that film as he was a fan of the TV show and really liked what Richard Donner did as he also loved those cameos including Danny Glover and that moment with Mel Gibson.
Jodie Foster is an absolute delight.
I’m surprised how Maverick has faded from public consciousness. It was really well-received at the time and did fairly well at the box office.Slightly off topic, is it just me or was 1994 one of the singular best years for mass-appeal movies ever, particularly the summer? Maverick, The Lion King, Forrest Gump, Speed, The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura, Pulp Fiction, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Reality Bites, The Ref, The Crow, Wolf, True Lies, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, Hoop Dreams, Clerks, Interview with the Vampire, Heavenly Creatures, The Professional, etc.
What’s amazing about that list of movies is that there’s no real trend there, it’s just a bunch of solid movies in wildly different tones, styles, and genres. I mean, there are three Jim Carrey movies on the list, but aside from that . . .
I’ve got a Maverick one sheet hanging in my office. That movie is so damned fun.
I like CONSPIRACY THEORY.
What a titan. I always forget the amount of notable films he did beyond Superman. 91, a good long life. Farewell Donner, the creator of the best Superman film ever made.
Zack Snyder directed Man of Steel.
The sad thing is that there’s so little competition.
Best one and a half Superman films. (I’m yet to see the Donner cut of Superman II.) In the age of super hero films, can we stop, please stop trying to re-invent them as something else? Or something that is not in their traditional character traits? Old Batman? Fine. Old Batman wanting to kill Superman? Eh. Superman killing Zod. Not. Good. DC needs to control their shit a hell of a lot better. But. RIP Richard Donner. I was the youngest of my family and cousins that went to see the Goonies at the mall 2-plex, and as we are walking out, my brother, eight years older, declares “this was the best movie ever”. He has never lived it down, yet I know all of us watch it regularly to this day.
I’ve seen the Donner Superman II, and IIRC it’s kind of weird because it includes stuff that makes it not make sense as a direct sequel to the first film — I think there’s actually duplication from it, but don’t hold me to that. Of course if he’d been able to finish the film himself it would have different stuff in it, and it would make sense.
The only mistake he made in that film was insisting that the “Can You Read My Mind” song had to be sung by Margo Kidder. John Williams had already recorded a version with Maureen McGovern. Three days of agonizing failed recording sessions with Kidder (who couldn’t sing) and Donner finally told them to have her recite the lyrics. Hence the cringe inducing flying scene.
Wow, I really love that scene, it really gets across the awe and wonder Lois was feeling in that moment. I didn’t know the backstory, so glad it wasn’t just a song, Kidder was amazing.
RIP
NEVER MIND FU KINJA
Donner Party of Five the Nelly Furtado music video Say It Right the helicopter is the helicopter from the movie Speed didn’t look at the rest of the music video
His films were endlessly entertaining. RIP
Great shame, a truly underrated filmmaker. Of his early stuff, Twinky (porn writer Charles Bronson falls for sixteen-year-old schoolgirl Susan Geroge) probably won’t be mentioned in many obits, and rightly so, but Superman is a remarkable achievement, The Omen still packs a punch and I have a soft spot for Ladyhawke. The first Lethal Weapon is a terrific film, such a shame the franchise almost instantly turned into self-parody.Donner was also a terrific raconteur. His commentary tracks on his films are thoughtful, very informative and often very funny. 91, a good run. RIP Mr. Donner.
Oh, hell, Lola AKA London Affair, that’s— yeah. :DI should’ve remembered that one (as the poster is indeed unforgettable).Naturally (respect, R.I.P.), nobody wants to “go there” on– his “Christmas movie” with Bill Murray.
Twinky was uncomfortable enough back in 1969. God knows what’s it like these days, but we all have to start somewhere. He’s being paid some amazing tributes – https://www.thewrap.com/richard-donner-hailed-as-cinematic-legacy-with-effervescent-charm/
I have easily watched Superman and The Omen at least twenty times each. Just expertly crafted movies.
Richard Donner got too old for this shit
Richard Donner’s movies shaped so much of my childhood and my movie experience. Thank you for the joy, sir.
Ladyhawke deserves a rewatch. Fantastic premise and two of the hottest people on the planet in their prime.
Lethal Weapon is the one Gibson movie I won’t cancel. I consider it the perfect action movie
But you don’t even have to look outside of Gibson’s filmography to find a more perfect action movie. Lethal Weapon’s a good one, though, no question.
You canceled the Mad Max movies? Damnit, I don’t own any copies!
And it gave the name to a great musician..
Thanks for the fun moments, now RIP.
I’m somehow just piecing together how many significant movies of my childhood this man either directed or was somehow involved in.RIP sir. You and Ned Beatty will have a lot to talk about in that great Otisburg in the sky.
Otisburg? OTIS-burg?
It’s an itty-bitty place! Miss Teschmacher has her own paradise!
they don’t make em like that anymore
Donner was a master of tone. Superman is 5 movies in one – dystopian sci-fi, Rockwell Americana, screwball comedy, crime thriller, and fantasy adventure, and they mesh almost perfectly (with different visual styles to boot). The Omen is a satanic horror film that’s also an absolutely romp. Lethal Weapon is a dark crime thriller with one of the most fun buddy cop dynamics ever. He was a massive talent. RIP.
*absolute romp
Also, DANGER ISLAND from the Bananas Splits…..uh oh Chongo!
Man I love so many of this guy’s films. I never realized he made Ladyhawk, god that movie is great.
I would’ve bet serious money that Bronson and MTM, were never in the same room together, let alone the same movie. Then again, ‘Hollywood is a small town.’ Heck, they also both co-starred with Elvis!One of the Get Smart episodes Donner directed, had Max and 99 going under cover in a ballet company. Don Adams looked pretty funny in tights.
Why exactly was he replaced on Superman II?
The version I’ve always heard is that the Salkinds wanted it to be full-on camp, like the Adam West Batman movie. If you look at what the Lester version of Superman II is, and especially Superman III where they had complete control, that tracks. As hinted in the articled above, Donner couldn’t go that route after he saw the script and made a more earnest movie (albeit with lots of great comedy). They fired him supposedly for going over budget, then of course added millions more to the budget by having to reshoot II. Kidder and Hackman were particularly vocal about their displeasure on how Donner was treated and that’s why neither one is in III very much or at all, in Hackman’s case.
Surely a great director with great eye that maybe sometimes had a vision too specific for what he was shooting. In Superman it works (he was creating the language of the superhero movie) but in the case of the Goonies I think that the script went somewhere and the direction somewhere else. Anyway, he was never less than interesting, there was always something to pick up from his work.
I gotta say, I think this gif is just swell!
i re-watched lethal weapon 2 recently and got a contact high. i wish i’d been in the movie business in the ‘80s, septums are for suckers.
I don’t think Maverick or Conspiracy Theory get enough love. Donner had a very solid run of movies and they were diverse. His Superman commentary is one of my favourite to listen too.
Susan George in the automobile in Dirty Mary Crazy Larry is the blonde girl in the skinhead bomber jacket and jeans in Green Room and is Kristen Stewart in the automobile in On The Road the scene with Kristen Stewart in On The Road where she puts on lipstick and dresses up in bobby socks and a skirt and sweater and pimps herself out for a room and her utter disgust at herself is Elle Fanning’s scene in Super 8 when the boy who’s sweet on her asks her for her permission if it’s okay if he touches her face with the makeup sponge before he does and she nods yes and smiles you can’t tell from Elle Fanning’s performance that it is because she was such a good actress except it is that scene this is probably Lourdes Ciccone not because I know anything about her except she is her mother’s daughter and that is Madonna Ciccone also Kristen Stewart in her twenties out of character was Lauren Bacall out of character when she was old it is difficult to pick a victim because there are so many to choose from Kristen Stewart and Melissa George have aged out Melissa George’s character in 30 Days of Night uses a Glock so that gives you the probable method of suicide handgun and so have their contemporaries Zendaya is such a transparent victim that she and others like her are too obvious Elle Fanning’s character actually announces her character’s age in Super 8 which girls in movies simply never do so someone girl very good actress singer fourteen fifteen maybe sixteen possibly much younger Disney movies television shows there’s a scene in one of them where she says her character’s age is obviously going to be famous Elle Fanning Madonna Ciccone in the future something about her is like young Susan George Melissa George Judy Geeson Kristen Stewart Lauren Bacall Elle Fanning Madonna Ciccone death by suicide
Well, as you may imagine, this is quite a bummer for me to hear. But, 91 was a good run. Thanks, Dick Donner. Zodspeed, my old friend.
RIP Richard DonnerDonner directed many of my favorite films from The Omen, Superman, The Goonies, Lethal Weapon, Scrooged, Ladyhawke, to Timeline. He’s influenced like every modern director from Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, James Mangold, to Edgar Wright. Huge loss for cinema.
I’ve loved movies my entire life and one of my earliest, fondest memories was watching Superman on TV. I must have been 4 or 5 tops. Even got to stay up a little late. What a terrific director.
Those of you who are too young to have seen Superman or Superman 2 in the theater, you can’t imagine how crazy the audience was for these movies.The fight in Superman 2 had people jumping out of their seats. It was amazing and the end when Lois threw the punch… fuck people to steal a term were throwing babies in the air in joy.RIP, Donnor gave me so much joy with Superman and Lethal Weapon and Maverick and he was a great friend to Animals. Godspeed to what seems to be a good man.
Kind of embarrassed I didn’t know this dude’s name already. Holy shit what a resume.
I don’t instantly recognize his name and was surprised to hear he directed a few of my favorite films. Also, Scrooged is underrated.
When Maverick came out, I was completely ready to hate it. James Garner was the only Maverick for me (unless it was Jack Kelly or Roger Moore…), and I didn’t think Gibson could pull it off. But he, Garner, the William Goldman script… everything worked for me. I watch it every couple years and it’s always a delight.This might not be the place to say I never liked Goonies much, but.. I was a bit too old for it when it showed up. That said… Ladyhawke is all kinds of awesome to me. Yes, even the ridiculous music.And… I think Donner did absolute wonders on Superman. The movie is tonally all over the place, but it builds right, and Reeve was perfect. I haven’t seen the redo of Superman II (and I liked the Lester version fine) but I will seek it out. RIP, but… 91 is a good long run.
I was the right age for Goonies when it came out, but my feelings for it now are purely nostalgic at this point. Movies like Scrooged, Ladyhawke, Maverick, Lethal Weapon, and of course, Superman and the Omen, however, those have stood the test of time for me.I also have some nostalgic fondness for Radio Flyer.
Goonies never clicked with me, either. Not that I hated it or anything. It just clearly had felt to me like I happened to just be older and outside its target audience. Everyone younger than me who I knew, they loved that film to death. No question about it.Ladyhawke was a great fantasy premise. I didn’t particularly like that Broderick was in it mucking shit up with his acting style, but Rutger (fresh out of Blade Runner) and Pfeiffer (fresh out of Scarface) in the same film? Hell yeah, I’d watch that any day of the week.
RIP, legend.The one image I’ll never forget as a kid was accidentally seeing Donner’s name on a Gilligan’s Island rerun not too long after his Superman and Lethal Weapon heydays.“Wait, is that the same guy who did Superman? Holy shit.”And then again with the William Shatner TZ episode during one of those Twilight Zone marathons TV stations used to do. Jesus, man. His name seemed to uncannily show up on anything I liked to watch.