Wolfgang Petersen, director of ‘The Neverending Story’ and ‘Air Force One’, is dead
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German director Wolfgang Petersen, best known for his films The never-ending story, Air Force One Where Troy, died at the age of 81 Friday, August 12, at his home in Los Angeles, swept away by pancreatic cancer, said a spokesperson.
Wolfgang Petersen, born in 1941 in the northern German port city of Emden, made two feature films before his breakthrough in 1982 with The boat (Das Boot), then the most expensive in the history of German cinema. The 149-minute feature (the first version was 210 minutes), whose plot takes place aboard a submarine during the Second World War, received six nominations for the 1983 Oscars and opened the doors to ‘Hollywood to its director.
The following year saw the release of Wolfgang Petersen’s first English-language film, The never-ending storythe adaptation of a children’s literature success telling the adventures of a boy who steals a novel from a bookstore before being propelled into the story of the book.
A fascination with the sea
He then directed action films and disaster films, including In the line of sightwith Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich, and Alert !which relates the fight of the American authorities against a very virulent virus, with Dustin Hoffman.
Wolfgang Petersen also directed George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in In the middle of a storm (The Perfect Storm), released in 2000, which tells the true story of a Massachusetts fishing boat lost at sea. for its giant wave of 30 meters created virtually thanks to special computer effects.
The sea has long held a strong fascination for the director, who grew up on the northern coast of Germany. “The power of water is incrediblehe said in 2009. I was always impressed as a child by its strength, all the damage water could do when it rolled for a few hours and crashed against the shore. »
Wolfgang Petersen then continued with Troya sprawling epic starring Brad Pitt, based on theIliad of Homer, which grossed nearly $500 million worldwide. Poseidonwith Kurt Russell in 2006, was his last Hollywood film, and did not meet with success up to the committed budget.
“Full of joy of living”
His latest feature film, German robbery (Four Against the Bank)in 2016, was a remake of his own 1976 German TV movie.
Actress Glenn Close, who starred alongside Harrison Ford in Air Force Onesaid in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that having been led by Wolfgang Petersen « rest[ait] a special memory ».
“Even though the script was thrilling and incredibly intense, I remember lots of laughs, especially during the scenes around the huge table in the ‘War Room'”she said. “My memory is that of a man full of “joie de vivre” [en français dans le communiqué]who was doing what he loved the most”said the actress.
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