Lee Tamahori, the celebrated New Zealand film director renowned for both the critically acclaimed Kiwi drama “Once Were Warriors” and major Hollywood blockbusters, including the James Bond film “Die Another Day,” has passed away at the age of 75. His family confirmed that Tamahori’s death followed a battle with Parkinson’s disease. In a heartfelt statement to New Zealand public service broadcaster RNZ, his family affirmed, “His legacy endures with his whānau, his mokopuna, every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart.”

Born in Wellington in 1950, Tamahori’s heritage was rich, being of Māori descent through his father and British ancestry via his mother. He made an immediate and profound impact on the film industry with his directorial debut in 1994, “Once Were Warriors.” This unflinching and raw depiction of Māori life quickly became a landmark of New Zealand cinema, firmly establishing him as a significant new voice in filmmaking.

Following the success of “Once Were Warriors,” Hollywood swiftly beckoned. Tamahori went on to direct the 1997 survival thriller “The Edge,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, before helming 2001’s “Along Came a Spider.” His most commercially significant feature arrived in 2002 with “Die Another Day,” which marked Pierce Brosnan’s final appearance as James Bond. The film also featured Halle Berry and included a memorable cameo from Madonna. Despite receiving mixed reviews for the film itself, Tamahori’s direction garnered praise, and the movie achieved substantial global box office success, grossing $432 million.

Subsequently, Tamahori directed films such as “XXX: State of the Union,” “Next,” and “The Devil’s Double,” which, however, did not achieve the same critical or commercial impact as his earlier Hollywood ventures, yielding disappointing theatrical results. After a period of relative quiet in his career, he eventually returned to filmmaking in his native New Zealand, directing “Mahana” in 2016 and “The Convert” in 2023, thus continuing to tell stories with his distinctive vision in the homeland that first recognized his talent.