John Avildsen Dies: Oscar-Winning ‘Rocky’ And ‘Karate Kid’ Director Was 81 according to : Deadline

"We were greatly saddened to learn of the passing of beloved director John Avildsen," DGA president Paris Barclay said today. John G. Avildsen told some great American stories in films such as "Save the Tiger," "Rocky," "Karate Kid," "Lean on Me…" Rest In Peace. A documentary, John G. Avildsen: King Of The Underdogs, won the docu prize at the Beverly Hills Film Festival this spring. The pair later reunited for 1990's Rocky V."We mourn the loss of John G. Avildsen, one of America's treasured filmmakers," said MGM chairman and CEO Gary Barber. He will always be remembered by his MGM family."The director found himself at the helm of another big franchise when he directed 1984's The Karate Kid starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.




Rocky Director John G. Avildsen Is Dead At 81 By Adam Holmes Hollywood has lost another one of its notable contributors as 2017 continues. Now comes word that John G. Avildsen, the man best known for directing Rocky and the first three Karate Kid movies, has passed away at the age of 81. There's no doubt that John Avildsen left an enormous impact on Hollywood, and his work will live on to influence other filmmakers. John Avildsen wound down his directing work in the 1990s, ending his career with The Power of One, 8 Seconds and Inferno. He was also the subject of a documentary titled John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs, which will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and Video on Demand starting August 1.

John G. Avildsen Dead: Director of 'Rocky,' 'Karate Kid' Was 81

The documentary is a companion to the book "The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid, and Other Underdogs," written by Larry Powell and Tom Garrett. John G. Avildsen, who won an Oscar for directing the original "Rocky" (1976), starring Sylvester Stallone, and also directed all three of the original "Karate Kid" films, has died in Los Angeles. Avildsen also won the DGA Award for directing "Rocky," which also won Oscars for best picture and film editing and was nominated in multiple other categories. A documentary on the director's life and career, "John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs" (2016), directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson, features interviews with Stallone, "Karate Kid" star Ralph Macchio, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Weintraub and Burt Reynolds. John Guilbert Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois.