At age 54, from complications following surgery, sources told me. The Oscar-winning director did his most memorable work turning books into literary movies with the Weinsteins at Miramax -- The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Cold Mountain. His 1996 The English Patient won 9 Academy Awards, including best director for Minghella and best picture and best supporting actress for Juliette Binoche. Minghella also was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay for the movie and for his screenplay for The Talented Mr. Ripley. His 2003 Cold Mountain brought Rene Zellweger a best supporting actress Oscar. Ripley earned five Oscar nominations. He also directed 1990's Truly, Madly, Deeply, and he exec produced last year's Oscar-nominated Michael Clayton.
He was chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007. Minghella also directed Puccini's Madama Butterfly at the English National Opera in London, then staged it for the season opener of New York's Metropolitan Opera under general manager Peter Gelb. Born the second of five children to southern Italian emigrants, Minghella came to moviemaking from a successful playwriting career. Under the Weinsteins' new banner The Weinstein Company, Minghella was recently in Botswana filming an adaptation of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency scheduled to air on the BBC this week and as a 13-episode series on HBO. I understand that in recent months Minghella had been spending a lot of time with his close friend Sydney Pollack, who is ailing.
This is so sad. Such a brilliant director and a wonderful person. Shocking.
Comment by Lenny — March 18, 2008 @ 7:00 am
Anthony Minghella has had such an impact in the British film industry – he truly will be missed. Minghella who was the chair of the British Film Institute worked so hard in promoting filmmaking here in the UK – the industry has lost a great voice!
Comment by Wich — March 18, 2008 @ 7:19 am
Terrible. One of the most delightful people imaginable. 99% of the people in this business could give one shit about anyone they work with, they just views them as non-human robots, means to their ends–and that’s not hyperbole. He treated people like a caring human being. What a loss.
Comment by MBE — March 18, 2008 @ 8:02 am
That’s a shocker.
He had such a great career, and had such great potential for the future, and he was still a relatively young man.
Comment by Furious D — March 18, 2008 @ 8:09 am
This was a man who made movies that I enjoyed. This was a man who made movies that reminded us of why we could feel pride in our industry. A class act, who left us much too soon.
Comment by btl teamster — March 18, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
What a huge loss and so very sad. He seemed to have very rare talent, almost old fashioned in today’s world.
Comment by kkate — March 18, 2008 @ 12:42 pm
Very sad news. I met Anthony in Hollywood when he was signing his Talented Mr Ripley screenplay book. Such a nice man, very caring and supportive. I wish I could say the same about the people who run the Hollywood movie machine, but I cannot. I have been following his career from Grange Hill, Inspector Morse etc. and I knew that as soon as I saw the trailer for the English Patient, I HAD to see this movie. I saw this movie in the morning on the very first day it was released and I knew that it was something very special. I saw it again for a second time and I just knew it was Oscar worthy. I was right. It went on to take nine Oscars. Anthony Minghella will be very missed on many levels. He was a consummate filmmaker, musician, screenwriter, director etc. His death is a huge loss to the British film industry.
Comment by Heather — March 18, 2008 @ 2:56 pm