Lee Tamahori, best known for directing the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, has died at age 75.
His family confirmed he passed away peacefully at home after living with Parkinson’s disease.
In a statement, they said his “legacy endures with his whānau, his mokopuna, every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke, and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart.”
They described him as a “charismatic leader and fierce creative spirit” who championed Māori talent both on and off screen.
Tamahori rose to international fame with his 1994 debut feature Once Were Warriors, which won multiple awards and became a landmark in New Zealand cinema for its social realism.
In Hollywood, Tamahori directed several major films, including Along Came a Spider (2001) starring Morgan Freeman, before taking on Die Another Day, the 20th installment in the Bond franchise.
The film starred Pierce Brosnan in his final outing as 007 and featured Madonna, who performed the theme song and made a brief cameo.
After years in the US, Tamahori returned to New Zealand. His later works included Mahana (2016) and The Convert (2023).
His final and upcoming project, Emperor, stars Adrien Brody, Sophie Cookson, and Paz Vega, and chronicles Johanna of Ghent’s quest for revenge against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.