Wolfgang Petersen, the German director whose films include The Perfect Storm, Air Force One and Das Boot, has died. He was 81. Petersen died peacefully Friday at his Brentwood residence from pancreatic cancer, in the arms of his wife of 50 years, Maria Antoinette.
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Petersen began his career in Germany but answered the call of Hollywood after his 1981 breakout film, the claustrophobic submarine WWII epic Das Boot (The Boat), was nominated for six Academy Awards. Two of those went to Petersen for adapted screenplay and directing, and he also was nominated for a BAFTA Award and DGA Award. The film starred Jürgen Prochnow as the U-boat captain, who became a good example of Petersen’s action characters.
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He quickly became one of the most in-demand directors of technically complex star-driven studio action films — a run that included The Perfect Storm (2000), Air Force One (1997), Outbreak (1995), In the Line of Fire (1993), Shattered (1991) — which he also wrote — Troy (2004) and Poseidon (2006).
Petersen also helmed the space-set 1985 sci-fi pic Enemy Mine and directed and co-wrote 1984’s fantasy film The NeverEnding Story.
He was well-liked amongst his peers and admired by the talent he worked with including Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Rene Russo, Glenn Close, Mark Wahlberg, Dustin Hoffman and Morgan Freeman.
Born on March 14, 1941, in Emden, Germany, Petersen began his directing career with short films and TV movies in the 1960s and ’70s.
In addition to his wife, Petersen is survived by his son, Daniel, and two grandchildren. Funeral services will be private.