Director of two ‘Batman’ films and ‘Lost Boys,’ Joel Schumacher, has passed away at 80, after a year-long battle with cancer. A spokesperson stated that he “passed away quietly from cancer this morning [in New York City.] and will be fondly remembered by his friends and collaborators,” as his death was confirmed.
Schumacher, a costumer-designer-turned-director, was behind ‘Batman Forever,’ ‘Batman & Robin,‘ ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ ‘The Lost Boys, ‘Flatliners,’ ‘A Time to Kill,’ ‘The Client,’ ‘Tigerland,’ and ‘Falling Down,’ plus more. He also directed two episodes of the first season of Netflix’s ‘House of Cards.’
While the late director began his career in the fashion industry, Schumacher would begin directing films throughout the 1980s and 1990s and caught his big break with Warner Bros. as Tim Burton left the ‘Batman‘ franchise. His exit spawned 1995’s critically acclaimed ‘Batman Forever,’ which grossed more than $300 million worldwide. It was followed by 1997’s ‘Batman & Robin,’ in which an openly gay Schumacher introduced nipples to the costumes of both characters.
