John Avildsen, director of ‘Rocky’, dies at 81

The Oscar-winning director,John Avildsen, has died. He was 81 years old.

John  Avildsen’s  blockbuster films like “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid” championed the ascent of underdogs died of pancreatic cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The 1976 hit “Rocky” — an adrenaline-pumping story that captures the rise of a down-and-out boxer from working-class Philadelphia — earned Avildsen an Oscar for best director.

The great director John G. Avildsen Who won the Oscar for directing Rocky! R. I. P. I’m sure you will soon be directing Hits in Heaven- Thank you , Sly

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) on Jun 16, 2017 at 8:00pm PDT

Avildsen went on to have a string of big-screen successes in the decade to come, both at the box office and on the awards stage. He directed the first three films in The Karate Kid franchise, starting in 1984.

RIP to my friend and KK director John G Avildsen. He brought inspirational stories to us all and had a guiding hand in changing my life. pic.twitter.com/TRobJn3pq2

— Ralph Macchio (@ralphmacchio) June 17, 2017