Jamie Blanks Dies: Australian Director Of Studio Movies ‘Urban Legend’ & ‘Valentine’ Was 54

Jamie Blanks, nan Australian filmmaker and composer, has died unexpectedly aged 54, according to a connection from his family.

Blanks’ family confirmed connected X that nan filmmaker “passed distant abruptly astatine his location successful Melbourne, Australia, connected Monday 16 March,” describing his passing arsenic “unexpected, contempt immoderate sick wellness successful caller years.”

Blanks was champion known for his activity successful nan genre space, some arsenic a filmmaker and composer.

Born and raised successful Melbourne, Blanks attended Swinburne Film School. After directing a drawstring of shorts, his large break came successful his mid ’20s connected 1998 cult scary movie Urban Legend for TriStar Pictures. The U.S. movie starred Jared Leto, Joshua Jackson and Alicia Witt and made $72M WW.

According to interviews, Blanks has said that nan way to directing Urban Legend began pinch him receiving screenplays for some Scream (after a head saw his student film) and I Know What You Did Last Summer, contempt his constricted portfolio and young age. He wasn’t chosen for either, but nan acquisition of getting adjacent sparked him into action.

He explained successful an interview: “I thought nan only measurement I could person producers successful Hollywood that I’m tin of making a movie is to return nan screenplay and effort to nonstop a mates of scenes. Then I had a amended idea, which was to make a trailer – sprout each nan money shots, each nan things that would waste this movie. And that’s what I did pinch $3,000 and a full bunch of friends. We changeable it on 35mm and it turned retired really well. I sent it complete to nan producer, who was fresh to prosecute maine connected nan film, but nan ink had already dried connected nan director’s statement – they hired Jim Gillespie to direct I Know What You Did Last Summer. But they said ‘don’t worry, we’ll find a movie for you to direct’ and existent to their word, 9 months later I was offered Urban Legend based connected nan spot of that 1 trailer and student film.”

Blanks credits Phoenix Pictures, shaper Neal Moritz and his squad for taking a chance and providing him pinch nan opportunity, contempt his constricted experience. “I deliberation they responded to nan truth that I loved nan genre,” he said successful an interview.

He followed that up pinch bigger-budget 2001 Warner Bros image Valentine, starring David Boreanaz, Denise Richards and Katherine Heigl, but nan movie wasn’t arsenic commercially successful arsenic his debut.

In 2007, he made genre pic Storm Warning and successful 2008 nan Jim Caviezel movie Long Weekend. He past turned much often to composing, moving connected a number of movies including Crawlspace and astir recently, nan 2025 scary What Are You Afraid Of?, which was sold by Blacktop International and distributed successful U.S. by Cleopatra Entertainment.

The societal media connection from Blanks’ family notes that astatine nan clip of his decease he was “still very progressive supporting different filmmakers and processing his ain projects.” The filmmaker was progressive connected societal media until nan time earlier he passed away.

It continues: “Anyone who was fortunate to cognize Jamie was instantly struck by his talent, kindness, humanity, generosity of tone and boundless enthusiasm….We’re imagining him now successful a amended place, chatting up a large wind astir scary movies and euphony pinch galore others he loves and admired who person passed earlier him. Honour him by watching 1 of his films aliases John Carpenter’s The Fog (a favourite movie that inspired him to go a filmmaker)…”

News of his passing has been met pinch sadness by galore who knew him and his work, including successful nan genre community. Genre tract Bloody Disgusting said it was “very sad” to study of his death.

Blanks is survived by his wife, Simone; his son, Oliver; his parents, and brothers.