Joel Schumacher, an eclectic director whose career ranged from a pair of divisive Batman movies to St. Elmo’s Fire, a 1985 American coming-of-age film, has passed away.
The journeyman director who steered the Batman franchise into its most baroque territory in Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin, died on Monday, June 22, 2020, at the age of 80.
According to a source, the filmmaker died in New York, United States of America, after a yearlong battle with cancer.
Variety, an American media company, wrote that Schumacher was first a sensation in the fashion world after attending Parsons School of Design.
The New York native debuted his career as a costume designer in the 1970s, working alongside luminaries such as Woody Allen, an American director, actor, and comedian.
He went on to write the 1976 comedy Car Wash; as well as the screenplay for a film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz.
But his big break came in 1985, with his third feature film —St Elmo’s Fire, which he co-wrote and directed.
His follow-up, The Lost Boys became a cult favourite. His 1990 hit Flatliners saw him team up with actor Kiefer Sutherland.
Schumacher worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, and Michael Douglas.
He took over the reins of the Batman franchise from Tim Burton in 1995; casting Val Kilmer as the Caped Crusader and Jim Carrey as the Riddler. The film however grossed more than $300 million worldwide.
May his soul rest in peace.