Esteemed Canadian filmmaker Norman Jewison has died. He was 97.
The Toronto-born director and producer died "peacefully" at his home in Malibu, CA, on Saturday (January 20), his publicist Jeff Sanderson confirmed to CBC News, leaving wife Lynne St. David-Jewison and children Kevin, Michael and Jennifer. No cause of death has been reported at this time.
Jewison was the force behind countless Hollywood films, ranging from social dramas to comedies starring Doris Day. He was notably nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times across three different decades for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Moonstruck (1987).
Other highlights from the filmmaker's storied career include a 1973 adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar, Cold War satire The Russians Are Coming (1966) and The Statement (2003).
In 1988, Jewison also founded the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) in his hometown as a professional development hub for writers, actors, producers and directors. He went on to win the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2003.
