Ted Kotcheff dead: Weekend at Bernie's and Rambo movie First Blood director dies aged 94

Iconic movie director Ted Kotcheff, who has the filmmaker behind a number of huge Hollywood movies, has died. The sad news was confirmed by his family.

Ted, who was 94 at the time of his death, directed a series of hit movies in Hollywood including the 1989 hit Weekend at Bernie's, Fun with Dick and Jane as well as the Rambo hit First Blood. The director's son Thomas Kotcheff confirmed the sad news that he died at Hospital Joya in Nuevo Nayarit in Mexico, surrounded by his family, reports.

The Rambo director's cause of death was not disclosed. Ted enjoyed a highly successful career in Hollywood, directing a string of movies and TV shows throughout his career.

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Ted's most notable work is the 1982 Sylvester Stallone cult classic, First Blood, in which the actor first played the iconic character of John Rambo. Ted cast Sly for the iconic role. The movie became Ted's biggest box office hit as it grossed more than $125 million worldwide.

Despite the success of the character inspiring a series of follow up movies, Ted refused to take part in the Rambo sequels. Explaining his decision with Filmmaker magazine in 2016, Ted said: "They offered me the first sequel, and after I read the script I said, 'In the first film he doesn't kill anybody. In this film he kills 75 people'. It seemed to be celebrating the Vietnam War, which I thought was one of the stupidest wars in history."

He added: "Fifty-five-thousand young Americans died and so many veterans committed suicide. I couldn’t turn myself inside out like that and make that kind of picture. Of course, I could have been a rich man today — that sequel made $300 million."

Explaining why he decided to turn down the iconic role, he told magazine in 2016: "They offered me the first sequel, and after I read the script I said: "In the first film he doesn't kill anybody. In this film he kills 75 people. It seemed to be celebrating the Vietnam War, which I thought was one of the stupidest wars in history."

The film maker also directed the 1989 comedy Weekend at Bernie's, which starred Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman.

He also directed the 1977 original Fun with Dick and Jane, which featured Jane Fonda and George Segal. As well as Uncommon Valor, which featured the late Gene Hackman, who also died earlier this year.

Ted's career began in TV as he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation at the age of 24. During his early career he was CBC's youngest director, working on General Motors Theatre, Encounter, First Performance, and On Camera, before heading to the UK to pursue a career in filmmaking. His movie directing debut came with the 1962 comedy Tiara Tahiti.

He also directed Wake in Fright, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, which starred Richard Dreyfuss, before heading to Hollywood to find success.

He married actress Sylvia Kay in 1960 and the pair welcomed three children together before eventually divorcing in 1972. Sylvia died at the age of 82 in 2019.