Curtis Hanson, a beloved director who made hit films such as8 MileandL.A. Confidential,passed awaylast night at the age of 71. While no cause of death has been confirmed, initial reports reveal the filmmaker was found dead in his Hollywood Hills home last night, from an apparent heart attack. However, an LAPD spokesperson would not confirm that information, stating he died of “natural causes.”
Varietyreports that paramedics responded to a call regarding an unconscious man at the director’s Hollywood Hills home at 4:52 PM. The filmmaker was pronounced dead at the scene, although no further details were given. The filmmaker had been retired for the past few years, with his last film being the 2012 biopicChasing Mavericks, and other reports claim he had been suffering fromAlzheimer’s disease.
Curtis Hansonwas born June 21, 2025 in Reno, Nevada and he was raised in Los Angles. Despite his father being a Los Angeles public school teacher, he dropped out of high school and started working as a freelance photographer and editor for Cinema Magazine. His first big break in the industry was co-writing the screenplay forThe Dunwich Horrorin 1970, which starredSandra DeeandDean Stockwell. He made hisdirectorial debutin 1972 withSweet KillstarringTab HunterandAngus Scrimm.
He went on to directLosin' ItstarringTom CruiseandShelley Longin 1983,The Bedroom WindowstarringSteve GuttenbergandElizabeth McGovernin 1987 andBad InfluencestarringRob LoweandJames Spaderin 1990. His big break happened with the 1992 thrillerThe Hand That Rocks the Cradle, starringAnnabella SciorraandRebecca De Mornay. He followed that up withThe River WildstarringMeryl StreepandKevin Baconin 1994, before the critical and commercial hitL.A. Confidentialin 1997, which he won his first and only Academy Award, for co-writing the screenplay withBrian Helgeland.
Curtis Hansonfollowed upL.A. ConfidentialwithWonder Boysin 2000, starringMichael DouglasandTobey Maguireand8 Mile, which was his biggest box office success, taking in $116.7 million domestically at the box office. His final films wereIn Her ShoesstarringCameron Diaz,Lucky YoustarringEric BanaandRobert Duvall, andChasing Mavericks, starringGerard Butler, although he had to leave that film during production after complications arose following a recentheart surgery. The production was completed byMichael Apted. He also directed an episode ofGreg the Bunnyand the 2011 HBO TV movieToo Big to Fail. The filmmaker is survived by his son, born in 2004, which he had with his longtime partner, producerRebecca Yeldham.
