Hollywood Icon Dies At 80 -- REAL Cause Of Death Revealed
Renowned director Joel Schumacher, who is known for his 80s blockbuster movies "St. Elmo's Fire" and "The Lost Boys," has died at the age of 80.
According to reports, the eclectic filmmaker died on Monday morning in New York City after a long battle with cancer.
His publicist released a statement after his death, saying that Schumacher "passed away quietly" and will be "fondly remembered by his friends and collaborators."
From Fashion To Film Industry
The NYC-born filmmaker earned his degree at the prestigious Parsons New School for Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked in the fashion industry.
Unfortunately, his success in the fashion scene has led him to his downfall as he became addicted to drugs.
In his previous interview with WHYY's Fresh Air, he revealed that his addiction served as an eye-opener to him to pursue his life-long dream.
"When I got off hard drugs in 1970, I thought, 'I got to go back to basics, and I've really screwed up my life here. So what can I do to make my life better?' And I thought, 'I've got to pursue my original dream as a child to become a movie director,'" Shcumacher said at the time.
He used his background in fashion to land a gig as a TV costume designer. At the same time, he was earning his Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Joel Schumacher Wrote The Screenplay For The "Most Expensive Musical Ever"
Later on, Schumacher started writing for movies. Some of his works as a screenwriter includes the 1976 musical drama film "Sparkle" directed by Sam O'Steen, followed by another 1976 comedy movie "Car Wash" which was directed by Michael Schultz.
He also worked for the 1978 musical adventure fantasy film "The Wiz" directed by Sidney Lumet.
The all-Black musical adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" was named by Life magazine as the "Most Expensive Musical Ever" with a then-whopping budget of $24 million and a gross of $21 million in U.S. and Canada theaters.
Blockbuster Movies
Following his success in the movie industry, Joel Schiumacher then transitioned as a director. His debut was the 1981 science-fiction comedy film titled "The Incredible Shrinking Woman."
Schumacher found greater acclaim in his 1985 coming-of-age film "St. Elmo's Fire," which he co-wrote and directed.
After his first hit became a success, the eclectic director followed it up with a teen horror-comedy film "The Lost Boys."
In addition to his blockbuster movies, the filmmaker also directed the franchise film "Batman Forever" after Tim Burton left Warner Brothers.
The movie starred Tommy Lee Jones, Val Kilmer, Jim Carrey and Nicole Kidman. The film reportedly grossed over $300 million worldwide.
In 1997, he directed his second and last film for the "Batman" franchise.
The fourth installment "Batman and Robin" starred George Clooney as Bruce Wayne and Batman, Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as the supervillain Mr. Freeze.
