Star director Wolfgang Petersen is dead - he died of cancer
Created: 08/17/2022 05:19
By: Christoph Gschossmann
Director Wolfgang Petersen has passed away.
The archive photo shows him on February 24, 2011 when he received the German Director's Prize for his life's work.
© Barbara Munker/dpa
Wolfgang Petersen is dead. The director celebrated numerous successes in Germany and in Hollywood - he was 81 years old.
Munich / Los Angeles – Wolfgang Petersen is dead. The German star director died on Friday at the age of 81 from pancreatic cancer, as his assistant told the dpa news agency.
US media had previously reported citing Petersen's production company.
According to
Deadline
, he died at his home in Los Angeles, California, in the arms of his wife Maria Antoinette.
He was married to her for 50 years.
He leaves behind his son Daniel and two grandchildren.
The celebrations should take place in private.
Died at the age of 81: Wolfgang Petersen.
© Felix Hörhager/dpa
World success with "Das Boot" - he shot with Eastwood, Clooney and Pitt
Petersen was born in Emden in 1941 and grew up in Hamburg.
He learned his craft at the German Film and Television Academy in Berlin.
In 1971 he had success with the "Tatort" thriller "Blechschaden".
The episode "Maturity Certificate" with Nastassja Kinski made him and the very young actress famous overnight.
Petersen became a taboo breaker in 1977 with the film "The Consequence", which is about homosexual love.
1981 made the leap to Hollywood when he landed a world hit with the war drama "Das Boot" with Herbert Grönemeyer.
Since 1987 he lived in Hollywood.
There he brought many stars in front of the camera.
He shot with Clint Eastwood ("In the Line of Fire"), Dustin Hoffman ("Outbreak"), Harrison Ford ("Air Force One"), George Clooney ("The Tempest"), Kurt Russel ("Poseidon") or Brad Pitt ("Troy").
The director Wolfgang Petersen (r.) and the writer Lothar-Günther Buchheim are sitting in the replica submarine for the film "Das Boot".
© picture alliance / dpa
He may also be known to German television viewers as the co-screenwriter of the “Neverending Story”.
Petersen returned to his homeland in 2016 for a remake of his old TV comedy "Four Against the Bank" from the 1970s.
The crook film was prominently cast with Til Schweiger, Matthias Schweighöfer, Jan Josef Liefers and Michael "Bully" Herbig.
(cg with dpa)
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