Doug Trumbull Cause Of Death: What Happened To American VFX Director Who Passed Away?

The cause of death for Doug Trumbull has yet to be revealed. At the time of his death, he was 71 years old.

Many people have paid tribute to his incredible filmmaking career after hearing the sad news.

“R.I.P. Douglas Trumbull, known for his work in SFX and directing SILENT RUNNING and BRAINSTORM,” the Film at Lincoln Center tweeted.

They also shared a picture of Trumbull on the set of Ridley Scott’s BLADE RUNNER.

Similarly, Jesse Hawken, a filmmaker, wrote: “RIP Douglas Trumbull, who revolutionized visual effects in cinema several times (2001, Close Encounters, Blade Runner, Brainstorm, The Tree of Life).”

Who Was Douglas Trumbull AKA Doug Trumbull? His Biography

Doug Trumbull was born Douglas Hunter Trumbull on April 8, 1942, in Los Angeles, California.

He is the son of Donald Trumbull, a pioneer in the field of motion picture special effects. His father worked in The Wizard of Oz and Silent Running.

Doug enjoyed building electromechanical devices as a child, such as crystal radios, and watching science fiction movies.

He began his career at Graphic Films, where he produced short films for NASA and the Air Force for the first time.

As his fame grew, he began to work on special effects for classic sci-fi films. He eventually rose to prominence as one of Hollywood’s most popular filmmakers.

Doug Trumbull was known for inventing special photographic effects for various movies.

His notable works can be found in 2001: A Space OdysseyClose Encounters of the Third KindStar Trek: The Motion PictureBlade Runner, etc.

Trumbull had directed two hit movies like Silent Running and Brainstorm.

Close Encounters, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner all earned him Oscar nominations for best visual effects.

Trumbull’s Simulator was used to create another smash hit film, Universal Studios’ “Back to the Future: The Ride.”

Later in his career, he worked on cinematic innovations at his own laboratory in Massachusetts.

He did the special effects for Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.