Chuck Russell, director of The Mask and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, dies aged 74

Film director, writer and producer Chuck Russell has died at the age of 74.

Russell died at his home in the San Diego area on Wednesday, 22 July, according to TMZ. The outlet reported that emergency services responded to a call about an unconscious man.

Born in Park Ridge, Illinois, Russell studied at the University of Illinois Chicago before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film.

He began working in the industry as a production supervisor and assistant director before producing the 1979 comedy The Great American Girl Robbery. His directing breakthrough came with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), which he also co-wrote.

Russell went on to direct several well-known films, including The Blob, The Mask, The Scorpion King, Paradise City and I Am Wrath. He also directed an episode of the TV series Fringe. The Mask marked the film debut of Cameron Diaz.

In a 2024 interview with Variety, Russell said he wanted audiences to experience "a great tale" and described his remake of Witchboard as the final chapter of his "personal horror trilogy", following A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and The Blob.

According to IMDb, Russell had three projects in pre-production at the time of his death: White House Demon, Hyperbia and b.