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Director, writer, shaper and showrunner Ralph W. Hemecker, known for his activity connected Witchblade, Blue Bloods, Once Upon a Time, The Flash, and The X-Files, among galore others, has died. Hemecker died astatine his Glendale, CA location connected July 10, his family confirmed to Deadline. The origin of decease was not disclosed. He was 65.
Born connected June 12, 1961, Hemecker’s much than three-decade profession began soon aft his graduation from Bucknell University wherever he made short films and discovered a passion for ocular storytelling. He returned to New York, studying filmmaking astatine New York University and began his profession successful accumulation and post-production, earlier transitioning to directing. Among his earliest activity was Fox’s America’s Most Wanted, where he directed melodramatic reenactments that helped bring real-life stories to a nationalist audience. He besides worked down nan scenes connected nan play bid Silk Stalkings earlier later returning to nonstop episodes for nan series, and besides worked connected Renegade created by Stephen J. Cannell.
A defining section of Hemecker’s profession began successful 2000 erstwhile he directed nan TNT TV movie Witchblade, executive produced by Dan Halsted and Oliver Stone and adapted from nan comic book bid of nan aforesaid name. The film’s occurrence led to the Witchblade tv series, for which he served arsenic showrunner, executive producer, and writer from 2001 to 2002, passim its two-season run.
His galore further directing credits see The X-Files, Millennium, Ghost Whisperer, Numb3rs, The Vampire Diaries, Nikita, V, The Flash, Once Upon a Time, and Blue Bloods. He besides directed nan Fox aviator Roar, starring a past little-known Heath Ledger, arsenic good arsenic nan pilots for Lawless and MTV’s Dead astatine 21. He became a recurring head connected respective long-running series, directing 31 episodes of Blue Bloods between 2010 and 2024 and 28 episodes of Once Upon a Time betwixt 2012 and 2018.
Hemecker besides directed respective characteristic films and tv movies including Dead On, American Dragons (also released arsenic Double Edge), Blade Squad, Haunting Sarah, Fatal Desire, Nora Roberts’ Angels Fall, Nora Roberts’ Midnight Bayou, and Skyrunners. In 2000, he founded Mythic Films, a accumulation institution dedicated to processing characteristic films, tv projects, and commercialized productions.
Hemecker was predeceased by his mother. He is survived by his 2 stepdaughters, his father, his sister, his brother, 3 nephews, 1 niece, and 1 great-nephew.
A ceremony of Hemecker’s life will beryllium announced astatine a later date.
