Lee Tamahori, the legendary New Zealand director, has died at the age of 75.
As reported by RNZ, the Wellington-born director’s family confirmed his passing in a statement, saying he died peacefully at his home.
“His legacy endures with his whānau, his mokopuna, every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke, and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart. A charismatic leader and fierce creative spirit, Lee championed Māori talent both on and off screen,” the statement reads.
“He ultimately returned home to tell stories grounded in whakapapa and identity, with Mahana and his latest film The Convert, reaffirming his deep connection to Aotearoa. We’ve lost an immense creative spirit.”
Tamahori shot to fame with his 1994 directorial debut, Once Were Warriors, which was a critical and commercial hit and became New Zealand’s highest grossing film of all time. It is still in the top five today.
From there, Tamahori headed to Hollywood where he helmed a number of big-name films, including 1997’s The Edge, which starred Anthony Hopkins, 2002 James Bond entry, Die Another Day, XXX sequel, XXX: State of the Union and 2001’s Along Came a Spider, which starred Morgan Freeman.
He also directed a season 2 episode of the iconic TV series, The Sopranos.
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His last feature film came in 2023 with historical drama, The Convert, which Australian actor Guy Pearce served as the lead actor in.
According to RNZ, friends and colleagues are invited to pay their respects at Te Mahurehure Marae, in Point Chevalier, Auckland, this Sunday (November 9).