Lee Tamahori, the New Zealand-born filmmaker known for directing Die Another Day and Once Were Warriors, has died at the age of 75 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Tamahori launched his feature filmmaking career with Once Were Warriors (1994), which centers on a family of Māori warriors struggling with a violent father and being treated as outcasts. The film premiered at Cannes and earned international acclaim, receiving recognition from organizations such as the Chicago Film Critics Association, Hawaii International Film Festival, and the Venice Film Festival.
His success led to a Hollywood career that included the psychological thriller Along Came a Spider (2001). Soon after, Tamahori directed the notable project, Die Another Day (2002), starring Pierce Brosnan, in his fourth and final role as James Bond.
Tamahori started out as an assistant director, producing commercials and television series in the 1980s, when he founded his production company, Flying Fish. His final film was the 2023 historical drama, The Convert, which starred Guy Pearce, a preacher caught in the middle of a bloody war between feuding Māori tribes.
In a statement to RNZ, Tamahori’s family said, “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.” They reported he died peacefully at home, surrounded by his partner Justine, his children, and his grandchildren.
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