Rob Reiner, Director of ‘Misery,’ ‘Princess Bride,’ Dead at 78

One of the great directors of a generation, Rob Reiner, is dead at the age of 78. He was found in his Los Angeles, CA, home on Sunday along with his wife, Michele. The deaths are being treated as a homicide, according to TMZ. People reports the couple was allegedly killed by their son, though this has not yet been confirmed by officials.

There will be much more to say as law enforcement finds out the circumstances of the deaths in the coming days. So, for now, let’s just put that aside and talk about Reiner; he provided the world so much joy through his art, it’s almost unprecedented.

Reiner, born in 1947, was the son of the prolific comedian, actor, author, and filmmaker Carl Reiner. He followed in his father’s footsteps, first rising to stardom with a lead role as an actor on the classic comedy, All in the Family. He parlayed that into many behind-the-scenes credits before making his feature directorial debut with This Is Spinal Tap in 1984.

Eventually, the film became a massive cult hit. But, for Reiner, it would be a few more years until he experienced commercial success as he had on TV. That first came in 1986 when he directed the Stephen King adaptation, Stand By Me, which started one of the most incredibly successful runs in Hollywood history.

Next, there was The Princess Bride, regularly cited as one of the greatest fantasy adventure films of all time. Then there was When Harry Met Sally, arguably the best romantic comedy ever. Then Misery, another King adaptation that won its lead actress, Kathy Bates, an Oscar. Then came the star-studded, still-quoted courtroom smash, A Few Good Men.

Many, many films followed, such as The American President, The Bucket List, North, Flipped, and more. Each cemented Reiner’s legacy as an all-time great. Plus, he co-founded Castle Rock Entertainment, which itself was responsible for another insane lineup of hits, before it was acquired by Turner in 1993.

I saw Reiner earlier this year at an event in Los Angeles. He was there to talk about two of his films, Stand By Me and Misery, and was as sharp and inspiring as ever. I got emotional being in the same room with the filmmaker, thinking about what his work has meant to me. Now, thinking about him being gone, it hits even harder, because he truly was a one-of-a-kind, generational talent.

Update, December 15, 1:23 a.m.: The original version of this post was updated to include additional clarity about the alleged crime.

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