Award-winning filmmaker Lee Tamahori, known for directing films such as Once Were Warriors and the 2002 James Bond franchise film Die Another Day, has passed away at the age of 75. The Wellington, New Zealand-born moviemaker died “peacefully at home” after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, his family told Radio New Zealand in a statement. “His legacy continues with his whānau [family], his mokopuna [grandchild], every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke, and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart,” they said, adding that he “championed Māori talent both on and off screen.” After gaining fame in his home country with his debut feature, 1994’s Māori family drama Once Were Warriors, Tamahori was courted by Hollywood. He went on to direct such star-driven projects as 1996’s Mulholland Falls, with Nick Nolte and Jennifer Connelly, and 1997’s The Edge, starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin. In 2002, Tamahori was tapped to direct Die Another Day—Pierce Brosnan’s final outing as the slick spy 007 before Daniel Craig assumed the role in 2006’s Casino Royale—which was the franchise’s most successful film up to that point. Tamahori is survived by his longtime partner, Justine; his four children; and a granddaughter.
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