Vale – Geoff Murphy

Noted New Zealand filmmaker Geoff Murphy, known for directing action staples such as Under Siege 2 and Freejack, has passed away.

A native of Wellington, New Zealand, Kiwi director Geoff Murphy’s first major success came with the locally produced Goodbye Pork Pie, in 1981. Murphy would go on to direct several more films in his homeland, including The Quiet Earth (1985) and cult-classic action comedy Never Say Die (1988), before he moved to work in America, primarily in Hollywood. His successful films in the United States include Young Guns II (starring Emilio Estevez and Keifer Sutherland), Steven Segal’s Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, and Fortress 2, starring Christopher Lambert.

In 1999, Murphy returned to New Zealand to work as 2nd Unit Director under Peter Jackson for a small independent project called Lord Of The Rings. Murphy would also work on XXX: State Of The Union’s 2nd unit team, and would helm his own project, Spooked, in 2002.

Geoff Murphy passed away on December 3rd. He was 80.

Who wrote this?

Rodney Twelftree

“Some people say I like films. Those people are wrong. I *love* films.” – Me. I said this.

Rodney has been writing about films for well over two decades, appreciates a good wine, the love of his wife and kids, and the affection of his dog and cats. He has a fondness of cheesy 90’s action and classic Hollywood, hates that physical media is disappearing, and wishes somebody would make a high-budget series of The Neverending Story.

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