Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome Co-Director George Ogilvie Dies at 89

Filmmaker George Ogilvie, best known for his work co-directing Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome alongside franchise creator George Miller, has passed away at the age of 89. Ogilvie’s niece, Heather Ogilvie confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that her uncle died of cardiac arrest on Sunday at the Braidwood Hospital in New South Wales, Australia. He suffered from emphysema for years prior to his death.

Ogilvie brought the third and final Mel Gibson Mad Max film to life alongside Miller, who directed both Mad Max and Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, as well as the award-winning 2015 reboot of the series, Mad Max: Fury Road. In addition to his work on Thunderdome, Ogilvie directed the 1990 film The Crossing, which featured the first film performance from beloved actor Russell Crowe.

Following the news of Ogilvie’s death, Crowe took to Twitter to honor his late teacher and friend with a touching message about his life, as well as the impact he had on others.

“A gifted teacher in art, theatre and life,” Crowe wrote in the tweet. “A deep privilege to have known George. There is still a resonance daily in my life from the things he taught me. Ah precious Mr. Ogilvie, this is a sad moment indeed. The Shiralee, Short Changed, The Crossing. Brilliant man.”

Ogilvie was born in New South Wales on March 5, 1931. 20 years later, he moved to England with his mother and worked with the Jimmy James theater company. In addition to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and The Crossing, Ogilvie directed films The Place at the Coast and Short Changed. He also worked on several TV shows, including Blue Heelers, The Shiralee, and The Dismissal.