Hollywood’s biggest directors, including Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, paid tribute to film poster artist Drew Struzan following his death this week
Hollywood’s biggest directors have paid tribute to the legendary film poster artist, Drew Struzan, after his death aged 78 this week. His family confirmed the tragic news on his official Instagram account on Monday.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Drew Struzan has moved on from this world as of yesterday, October 13th,” read a statement from his brother, Greg Struzan. “I feel it is important that you all know how many times he expressed to me the joy he felt knowing how much you appreciated his art.”
In a separate statement, his family revealed he lost a battle to Alzheimer’s Disease. He created posters for blockbuster franchises and beloved films including Star Wars, Back to the Future, Harry Potter, The Empire Strikes Back, The Goonies, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Thing.
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Following the heartbreaking news, the likes of George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Guillermo Del Toro paid tribute to their late pal.
Jurassic Park and Jaws icon Spielberg said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter : “Drew made event art. His posters made many of our movies into destinations … and the memory of those movies and the age we were when we saw them always comes flashing back just by glancing at his iconic photorealistic imagery. In his own invented style, nobody drew like Drew.”
Star Wars creator Lucas said in a statement: “Drew was an artist of the highest order. His illustrations fully captured the excitement, tone and spirit of each of my films his artwork represented.
“His creativity, through a single illustrated image, opened up a world full of life in vivid color… even at a glance. I was lucky to have worked with him time and time again.”
Pan’s Labyrinth director Del Toro said: ” The world lost a genial man, a genius communicator and a supreme artist. I lost a friend – beloved Drew.”
Spielberg even once described him as his “favourite movie artist” and admitted to feeling pressure to “live up to the art” Struzan produced.
Earlier this year, Drew’s wife said he was suffering from Alzheimer’s in a post shared on Facebook. She said: “Drew can no longer paint or sign things for you. He is not enjoying a well-deserved retirement but rather fighting for his life.
“He hears all the comments you have left here on these pages. It encourages him. At first he was able to express his thoughts but as time progressed it became infinitely more difficult.
“I rely on our 60 years of marriage working as a team to remember for him. Drew has left a strong legacy of love and joy in the form of his work. It has always been a love letter of sorts. His aim was to make the earth a better place in which to live by creating something beautiful. But like a flower, his season is ending.”
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