Edward Irastorza, Hellboy and Blade 2 Visual Effects Producer, Dies At 52

Visual effects consultant, supervisor, and producer Edward Irastorza, best known for working alongside director Guillermo del Toro on multiple projects, has passed away. Irastorza was 52 and passed on Monday, December 21. News of his death was confirmed through his Facebook account where his brother posted the news. "It is with great sadness that I need to let you know that my brother Edward has passed away," the post reads. "Even though he had been very sick for just over a year we were not expecting him to go when he did. He was looking forward to Christmas as Erik was going to be with us. Unfortunately he didn't make it."

"We would like to ask for a favor. As you, his friends, reflect on your memories of my brother could you write down some of your stories with him and send them to me?," Irastorza's sister wrote on FaceBook. "We would love to hear them and put together a keepsake for his son. It's okay if they are not G rated. Thank you all for being his friend he really wanted to get back to work and be with all of you again. Now he is with the friends that went before him and my dad."

Born December 10, 1968, Irastorza started his career in Hollywood working with Phil Tippett, the special effects genius whose stop-motion work was seen in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, RoboCop, and other films. After working with Tippett, Irastorza would go on to work on TV shows like Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Not long after this he would eventually meet and begin a working relationship with director Guillermo del Toro, first collaborating on the 2002 feature film Blade II, Irastorza having previously worked on the first Blade film with director Stephen Norrington.

From there Irastorza and del Toro would work together on 2004's Hellboy and 2006's Pan's Labyrinth, where he was credited as both visual effects producer and visual effects supervisor for both films. In-between those two films he collaborated with Robert Rodriguez with both Sin City and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D.

For his work on Pan's Labyrinth, Irastorza was nominated for several awards for his visual effects work including a BAFTA for Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects and a Gold Derby Awards nomination for Visual Effects. Irastorza was awarded the Best Special Effects award at the Goya Awards (Spain's equivalent of the Oscars) which he shared with Reyes Abades, Everett Burrell, and Emilio Ruiz del Río.

We wish his family and friends will during this time, and may Edward Irastorza rest in peace.

(H/T Deadline)