Lee Tamahori, the celebrated New Zealand filmmaker best known for directing the James Bond blockbuster âDie Another Dayâ and the powerful MÄori drama âOnce Were Warriors,â has died at 75. As per The Hollywood Reporter, his family confirmed Friday that the director passed away peacefully at home following a battle with Parkinsonâs disease.
âHis legacy endures with his whÄnau, his mokopuna, every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart,â his family said in a statement to RNZ.
Tamahoriâs debut feature, âOnce Were Warriors,â released in 1994, made him an international force in cinema.
The film premiered at Cannes and earned global praise for its raw, unflinching portrayal of domestic violence and MÄori identit. These stories would shape his career and influence generations of filmmakers.
From Wellington to Hollywood Success
Born in Wellington in 1950, Tamahori began his career as a commercial artist and photographer before moving into film production.
He worked his way up through the New Zealand industry, directing commercials and television under his company, Flying Fish, before releasing his first short film, âThunderbox,â in 1989.
The success of âOnce Were Warriorsâ soon opened doors in Hollywood.
Tamahori directed a string of major studio films, including âThe Edgeâ (1997) starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, âMulholland Fallsâ (1996), âAlong Came a Spiderâ (2001), âxXx: State of the Unionâ (2005), and the Nicolas Cage sci-fi thriller âNextâ (2007).
He reached the height of global fame in 2002 with âDie Another Day,â the 20th James Bond film, starring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.
A Lifelong Passion for Storytelling
In a 2022 interview at Paramount Studios, Tamahori reflected on his lifelong love of cinema, recalling how he used to skip school to watch movies. âThatâs what I did in my youth,â he said. âSneaked into every movie I wasnât allowed to see, and thatâs how I became a filmmaker.â
Beyond Hollywood, Tamahoriâs work remained rooted in his MÄori heritage. He returned to New Zealand to direct âThe Patriarchâ (2016) and âThe Convertâ (2023), a historical drama starring Guy Pearce that explored the conflicts between British settlers and MÄori tribes.
Tamahoriâs family described him as âa charismatic leader and fierce creative spiritâ who championed MÄori talent on and off screen. His influence extended across generations of filmmakers, both in New Zealand and abroad.
He is survived by his wife, Justine, and children Sam, Max, Meka, and Tané.
As tributes pour in from fans and industry peers, Tamahori is being remembered as a bold storyteller who bridged cultures, challenged expectations, and left an indelible mark on world cinema.
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