Prolific gay film director Joel Schumacher has passed away at age 80, after being diagnosed with cancer just one year ago.
The former costume designer made his screenwriting debut with 1976’s musical drama Sparkle, taking the helm of his first film as director in 1981 with The Incredible Shrinking Woman starring the one and only Lily Tomlin.
Schumacher’s most well-known works include St. Elmo’s Fire, the Palme d’Or nominated crime drama Falling Down, vampire thriller The Lost Boys and Flawless – the story of a homophobic cop learning to address his prejudice.
Schumacher also blessed cinema audiences with the two most camp entries in the Batman film universe, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, and brought Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera to the silver screen.
Tributes are pouring in for the director on social media from former collaborators and fans of his work.
Joel Schumacher has passed away. He saw deeper things in me than most and he lived a wonderfully creative and heroic life. I am grateful to have had him as a friend. pic.twitter.com/7kOeJ96rL8
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) June 22, 2020
RIP Joel Schumacher. I love St Elmo’s Fire. He was a (very) outspoken gay director before that was cool and his movies are a throwback to a time when Hollywood made something other than bloated action films or Oscar bait homework assignments. RIP Joel. I’m glad you had fun.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) June 22, 2020
#JoelSchumacher was the funniest, chicest, most hilarious director I ever worked with. Once,on set,an actress was complaining about me within earshot; how I was dreadfully over the top (I was)Joel barely looked up from his NYT+said “Oh Honey,no one ever paid to see under the top”
— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) June 23, 2020
OIP Staff
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