Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman have led the tributes to director Joel Schumacher following his death at the age of 80 after a year-long battle with
cancer.
Schumacher emerged during the 1980s, earning acclaim for hit movies including St Elmo’s
fire and The Lost Boys.Famously, he took over the Batman franchise from Tim Burton, directing 1995’s Batman Forever starring Val Kilmer and 1997’s Batman & Robin, George Clooney’s much-derided outing as the Dark Knight.
Following Schumacher’s death in
New York on Monday, tributes flowed from across the entertainment industry.Sutherland, who starred in vampire movie The Lost Boys, described Schumacher as one of his “dearest
Friends and partners in filmmaking”.
He added: “His mark on modern culture and film will live on forever.”pic.twitter.com/yv09WIY17V— Kiefer Sutherland (@RealKiefer) June 22, 2020Feldman also starred in The Lost Boys and was a
Hollywood rising star before his career was derailed by addiction issues.
In several tweets, Feldman told how the sober Schumacher tried to stop him doing drugs on set, firing him after noticing he was high.
“He tried to prevent my descent,” Feldman wrote.
Jim Carrey starred in Batman Forever as supervillain The Riddler.
Carrey said of Schumacher: “He saw deeper things in me than most and he lived a wonderfully creative and heroic life. I am grateful to have had him as a friend.”Joel Schumacher has passed away. He saw deeper things in me than most and he lived a wonderfully creative and heroic life. I am grateful to have had him as a friend. pic.twitter.com/7kOeJ96rL8— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) June 22, 2020Minnie Driver worked with Schumacher on his adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom Of The Opera.
She described him as “the funniest, chicest, most hilarious director I ever worked with”.
Driver added: “Once, on set, an
Actress was complaining about me within earshot; how I was dreadfully over the top (I was) Joel barely looked up from his NYT + said ‘Oh Honey, no one ever paid to see under the top’.”#JoelSchumacher was the funniest, chicest, most hilarious director I ever worked with. Once,on set,an actress was complaining about me within earshot; how I was dreadfully over the top (I was)Joel barely looked up from his NYT+said “Oh Honey,no one ever paid to see under the top”— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) June 23, 2020Comedian Kevin Smith also paid tribute.
He tweeted: “I met him on the set of the ill-fated Batman & Robin and he couldn’t have been nicer or more hospitable (and the man looooved to gossip).”
Actor Billy Eichner praised Schumacher for being a “very outspoken gay director before that was cool,” adding: “And his movies are a throwback to a time when Hollywood made something other than bloated action films or Oscar bait homework assignments. RIP Joel. I’m glad you had fun.”RIP Joel Schumacher. I love St Elmo’s Fire. He was a (very) outspoken gay director before that was cool and his movies are a throwback to a time when Hollywood made something other than bloated action films or Oscar bait homework assignments. RIP Joel. I’m glad you had fun.— billy eichner (@billyeichner) June 22, 2020Schumacher also directed the thrillers Tigerland and Phone Booth.
His most recent film was the 2011 crime thriller Trespass, which starred Nicholas Cage and Nicole Kidman.