Peter Medak, the veteran film director who helmed the influential horror classic The Changeling, has passed away.
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The 88-year-old "died peacefully" on Oct. 27 in Los Angeles, his family announced via Deadline.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Medak fled to the U.K. in 1956 following the Hungarian Uprising. At 18, he became a trainee at Associated British-Pathe, working on film sets in a variety of roles. He eventually worked his way up to assistant director on films like The Great Armored Car Swindle and The Phantom of the Opera.
Eventually, he moved to Hollywood, where he signed a contract with MCA Universal Pictures and went on to direct for TV on shows like Court Martial.
He eventually found himself directing his first feature film, Negatives, in 1967. From there, he went on to have a steady career as a director. According to IMDb, he directed 27 films and 59 episodes of television.
His 1972 film, The Ruling Class, earned Peter O' Toole an Academy Award nomination and a Palme D'Or nomination for the director himself.
Peter Medak Leaves His Mark on Horror Film and TV
However, perhaps his most memorable effort is the beloved 1980 horror film The Changeling. The ghost story, headed by a somber George C. Scott, is so atmospheric that an iconic sequence involving a simple bouncing ball haunts generations of film fans.
Medak went on to have a solid directing career in genre and horror. He helmed the sci-fi horror sequel Species II in 1998. On TV, his genre work included The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Masters of Horror, and Hannibal.
Outside of horror, Medak also directed films like The Krays (1990) and Romeo is Bleeding (1993), which starred Gary Oldman. His other TV credits include shows like Homicide: Life on the Street, Chicago Hope, The Wire, and Breaking Bad.
Meanwhile, Medak was married three times to Katherine La Kermance, Carolyn Seymour, and Julia Migenes. The director was currently in a relationship with Christine Wagner.
He leaves behind his children, Christopher, Joshua, Karen, and Cornelia Medak. Medak is also survived by grandchildren Sacha, Marlowe, Ryden, Oliver, and Anders.
