Cinema lost one of its most important talents of the last half a century on Monday when Richard Donner passed away at the age of 91. He may not have directed a feature film since 2006’s Bruce Willis vehicle 16 Blocks, but his legacy endures. Tributes have been pouring in from all over the world, with several cast members of The Goonies now offering their own memories of the filmmaker.
Looking at Donner’s filmography, he was one of the most versatile talents in the business who helmed a string of major hits that helped define entire genres. The Omen is still lauded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made, and the modern superhero genre is heavily indebted to his Superman, which set the template for comic book adaptations that many modern blockbusters adhere to over 40 years on.
The Goonies is a universally beloved classic that’s still casting a shadow over family-friendly adventures, as evidenced by recent Netflix hit Finding ‘Ohana, Scrooge is the ultimate anti-Christmas holiday favorite, and Lethal Weapon is the pinnacle of the buddy cop movie that set the standard and established the tropes that the majority of the best entries to follow in its wake would seek to emulate.
Donner left behind an incredible body of work without a doubt, with The Goonies stars Sean Astin and Corey Feldman taking to social media to mourn the loss of a true titan, which you can check out below.
Richard Donner had the biggest, boomiest voice you could imagine.
He commanded attention and he laughed like no man has ever laughed before. Dick was so much fun. What I perceived in him, as a 12 year old kid, is that he cared. I love how much he cared.– Goonies Never Say Die
— Sean Astin (@SeanAstin) July 5, 2021
RICHARD DONNER WAS AN INCREDIBLE HUMAN! HE WAS THERE 4 ME N TIMES THROUGHOUT MY LIFE WHEN NO OTHER PERSON WOULD! NOT ONLY WAS HE AN INCREDIBLE DIRECTOR & STORY TELLER OF SUCH INCREDIBLE FILMS LIKE #THEGOONIES #LETHALWEAPON #SUPERMAN #THEOMEN #FREEWILLY & MY PERSONAL FAV #SCROOGED
— Corey Feldman (@Corey_Feldman) July 5, 2021
Talk of that long-rumored sequel to The Goonies had never truly disappeared, and Donner was gearing up for Lethal Weapon 5 with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, but it would be safe to assume that both of those projects will be shelved following his death.
