Curtis Hanson

Curtis Lee Hanson (March 24, 1945 – September 20, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for directing a string of acclaimed thrillers and has received several accolades including an Academy Award as well as nominations for the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, three British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Born in Reno, Nevada, Hanson grew up in Los Angeles. After dropping out of high school, Hanson worked as photographer and editor for ''Cinema'' magazine. In the 1970s, Hanson got involved in filmmaking starting with participating in the writing of the horror film ''The Dunwich Horror'' (1970) and his directorial debut ''Sweet Kill'' (1973), where he lacked creative control to fulfill his vision. While Hanson continued directing, he rose to prominence by being involved in the writing the thriller ''The Silent Partner'' (1978), the horror film ''White Dog'' (1982), and the drama ''Never Cry Wolf'' (1983).

He made his directorial film debut with the B-Movie ''Sweet Kill'' (1972), followed by the comedy film ''Losin' It'' (1983), and the thrillers ''The Bedroom Window'' (1987), ''Bad Influence'' (1990), ''The Hand That Rocks the Cradle'' (1992), and ''The River Wild'' (1994). He directed the acclaimed neo-noir crime film ''L.A. Confidential'' (1997) earning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as well as nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. He since directed the comedy-drama ''Wonder Boys'' (2000), the drama ''8 Mile'' (2002), and the romantic comedy ''In Her Shoes'' (2005).

Curtis also directed the HBO television film ''Too Big to Fail'' (2011) receiving nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie. In 2014 Hanson fell ill and retired from directing and died of natural causes in 2016. Provided by Wikipedia