James Bond Director Lee Tamahori Dies At 75

Lee

Tamahori, who directed films such as Once Were Warriors and the 007 film Die Another Day, has died at age 75. The filmmaker's family confirmed his death at home in Auckland, New Zealand. He had been battling Parkinson’s disease for a while.

Die Another Day filmmaker Lee Tamahori dies at 75

The New Zealand public service broadcaster RNZ shared the Tamahori family statement on his death. It read, "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." The director was born in 1950 in Wellington, New Zealand. His father was of Māori descent, while his mother was British. His 1994 directorial debut, Once Were Warriors, starring Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, and Cliff Curtis, became the highest-grossing film in the country of all time upon its release. Hollywood noticed his talent, and the filmmaker directed several thrillers, such as The Edge (1997) with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin and Along Came a Spider (2001) starring Morgan Freeman. His most famous feature is Die Another Day, which was the last outing of Pierce Brosnan as the MI6 agent. The James Bond film also starred Halle Berry and featured a cameo by Madonna. It earned $432 million at the box office worldwide. ALSO READ: Amazon's Takeover Of 007 James Bond Franchise Cost THIS Whopping AmountOn social media, the franchise paid tribute to the director as they posted, "We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Lee Tamahori at the age of 75. The acclaimed New Zealand filmmaker directed DIE ANOTHER DAY, Pierce Brosnan’s final outing as James Bond. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Later, Tamahori went on to direct the action films XXX: State of the Union (2005), Next (2007), and The Devil's Double (2011), which didn't perform as well at the box office. He returned to New Zealand and made the features Mahana (2016) and The Convert (2023).