Thursday, November 11, 2010

Movie producer Dino De Laurentiis dies.

The family of Dino De Laurentiis has confirmed the film producer's death to CNN.A statement from Raffaella De Laurentiis, family spokesperson and daughter of Dino De Laurentiis, said he died at 10 p.m. PT Wednesday at his Beverly Hills, California, home, surrounded by family.


Dino De Laurentiis in pictures on Life.com

His granddaughter, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, issued this statement separately:

"My grandfather was a true inspiration. He was my biggest champion in life and a constant source for wisdom and advice. I will miss him dearly."

Dino De Laurentiis, who produced more than 160 films and was nominated for Oscars 35 times, has died at age 91, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

De Laurentiis won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film for 1954's "La Strada," directed by fellow Italian Federico Fellini, according to imdb.com.

He produced the Jane Fonda cult classic "Barbarella" in 1968 and moved to the United States shortly after, according to Digital Spy.

He had a reputation for backing big-budget bombs, but he made good movies too. Among his credits are "Serpico," "Three Days of the Condor," "Flash Gordon," "Dune" and the 1976 remake of "King Kong."
He did not produce "The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991 but did take charge of "Hannibal" and "Hannibal Rising," according to DigitalSpy.

He was the grandfather of celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis.