Wolfgang Petersen, Director of 'Das Boot' and 'Air Force One' Passes Away at 81

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Wolfgang Petersen, the Oscar-nominated director of "In The Line Of Fire", "Air Force One" and "The Perfect Storm," has died due to pancreatic cancer, his representative confirmed to Fox News Digital. He was 81. The German filmmaker died peacefully on Friday at his Brentwood, California home in the arms of his wife of 50 years, Maria Antoinette.  In 1981, Petersen made his breakthrough with the German-language WWII film "Das Boot", which he wrote and directed.The submarine epic received six Academy Award nominations, with Petersen scoring nods for best director and best adapted screenplay.

and, has died. He was 81.The filmmaker died Friday at his home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to Petersen’s publicist, Michelle Bega.

The Perfect Storm star Diane Lane paid tribute today to its director Wolfgang Petersen, who died Friday at 81.

Das Boot, Air Force One and others, has died aged 81.Petersen died on Friday (August 12) at his home in Brentwood, California from pancreatic cancer, his publicist confirmed (via The Hollywood Reporter).The German director, producer and writer had his breakthrough film with World War II epic Das Boot, released in 1982. The film was nominated for six Oscars, including two for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.His first English-language project was 1984 fantasy film The NeverEnding Story, which received two sequels in 1990 and 1994 respectively.Petersen achieved Hollywood success with his later works, including 1993’s In The Line Of Fire with Clint Eastwood, 1995’s Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman, and action thriller Air Force One in 1997 with Harrison Ford as the US president.In 2000, he also directed disaster film The Perfect Storm, based on a true story about a commercial fishing vessel that becomes lost at sea.

Director Wolfgang Petersen has passed away.

Wolfgang Petersen, whose German-language film “Das Boot” launched a successful Hollywood filmmaking career including “Air Force One” and “The Perfect Storm,” has died, a representative told TheWrap. He was 81.Petersen died peacefully Friday from pancreatic cancer with his wife Maria Antoinette by his side.Petersen’s film “Das Boot” or “The Boat” (1981) launched his career in Hollywood after the submarine WWII film received six Academy Award nominations.

Carmel Dagan Staff WriterWolfgang Petersen, who rode his acclaimed German-language film “Das Boot” into a career directing Hollywood blockbusters such as “In the Line of Fire,” “Air Force One,” “The Perfect Storm” and “Troy,” has died. He was 81.The news was confirmed by his production company.“Das Boot” (1981) was the harrowing story of life aboard a German U-boat during World War II; the genius of the film was that Petersen accomplished the unlikely feat of making audiences feel for the ordinary men serving on the submarine, who were all at least nominally in service to the Nazi cause — even the captain, played by Jurgen Prochnow, who himself parlayed the role in the film into a career as a character actor in Hollywood.

German film director Wolfgang Petersen has died at age 81. He died peacefully Friday at his Brentwood residence from pancreatic cancer, in the arms of his wife of 50 years, Maria Antoinette.