By Creative Media Times

Richard Donner

Richard Donner is greatly responsible for inspiring modern superhero movies with the success of Superman in 1978, and nearly a decade later for the buddy cop formula with Lethal Weapon. Both went on to become hugely successful film franchises, and together with classics The Goonies, The Omen, Maverick, Scrooged and a few others, Donner helped the development of Hollywood blockbuster industry.

Last Wednesday, it was film industry’s turn to honor the director as The Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences held the special ceremony in Los Angeles to honor Donner for all of his work.

But even with success, it was his kindness and generosity that people most remember. “There’s a true humility about the man; he refers to himself as a traffic cop, but he’s a f**ng genius,” says Mel Gibson, who played Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon series. “He has a voice that gets the attention of people getting on the bus two blocks away,” said John Savage (Inside Moves).

Also present during the tribute were DC Films president Geoff Johns and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, sharing the stage and retelling how they got their start in Hollywood working for Donner. “Dick and his wife Lauren gave me my first unpaid job in Hollywood, my first part-time in Hollywood, my first full time job in Hollywood, and my first producing credit, of which is the only reason I’m standing here,” Feige said, also calling Superman: The movie “the archetype of the perfect superhero film origin story.”