West News Wire: Hugh Hudson, a British director best known for the Oscar-winning Olympic epic “Chariots of Fire” and other acclaimed works including “My Life So Far” and the Oscar-nominated “Greystoke,” has passed away at the age of 86.
In a brief statement, Hudson’s family stated that he passed away on Friday in a London hospital “after a short illness.”
London-born Hudson first worked in television advertising and as an editor and producer of documentaries before breaking into the feature film industry in the late 1970s as a second-unit director on Alan Parker’s “Midnight Express.” Ben Cross and Nigel Havers played British athletes of various religions and origins in the 1981 film “Chariots of Fire,” which was produced by David Puttnam.
With its inspirational plot and sentimental theme music by the Greek composer Vangelis, “Chariots of Fire” was a solid commercial success and won four Academy Awards, including best picture and score. Hudson, a nominee for director, later helped produce a stage adaptation of “Chariots” that was timed for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
He had mixed success with future movie projects. “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes,” a 1984 movie featuring Ralph Richardson in his final movie role, was a box office success that received three Oscar nominations. But two years later, he was a nominee for a Golden Raspberry for directing the critical and commercial flop “Revolution.” His other credits included “My Life So Far,” “Lost Angels” and “Altamira.” He also co-wrote “Tiger’s Nest,” a 2022 release.
According to his family’s statement, Hudson is survived by his wife, Maryam, his son, Thomas, and his first wife, Sue.
