Joel Schumacher Dies: Director Of Two Batman & Brat Pack Pics, ‘Falling Down’ & Others Was 80

Erik Pedersen
Updated ·2 min read

Click here to read the full article.

Joel Schumacher, who directed some two dozen films including Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Brat Pack pics St. Elmo’s Fire and The Lost Boys along with Falling Down and John Grisham adaptations The Client and A Time to Kill, died today. He was 80.

His publicists at ID PR said he had a yearlong battle with cancer.

More from Deadline

Schumacher’s credits also include the 1980s pics D.C. Cab and The Incredible Shrinking Woman. He also helmed The Phantom of the Opera, Flatliners, Flawless, 8MM Phone Booth, Trespass and most recently two 2013 episodes of Netflix’s House of Cards.

The native New Yorker also wrote the 1976 low-budget comedy Car Wash and the screenplays for a pair of film adaptations of Broadway musicals: 1978’s The Wiz and 2004’s The Phantom of the Opera — along with his films Flawless, St. Elmo’s Fire and D.C. Cab. He also penned the 1976 feature Sparkle, which was remade in 2012.

He also was in the director’s chair for some high-profile music videos including Seal’s chart-topping hit “Kiss from a Rose,” from 1995’s Batman Forever, and INXS’ “Devil Inside” (1988).

Born on August 29, 1939, in NYC, Schumacher first made his name as a costumer designer for such 1070s pics as Woody Allen’s Sleeper and Interiors, along with Blume in Love, The Prisoner of Second Avenue and The Last of Shiela. He also was production designer on the 1974 telefilm Killer Bees during the disaster-movie era.

Schumacher directed some of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, Michael Douglas, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Anthony Hopkins, and Susan Sarandon. He also had a knack for helming young talents who would go on to be stars, such as Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, Colin Farrell and Gerard Butler.

Related: Joel Schumacher Addresses Allegations Against Friend Woody Allen

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.