'Lethal Weapon,' 'Superman' Director Richard Donner Dead at 91

Richard Donner -- one of the most famed and prolific directors of all time, known for flicks like "Superman," "Lethal Weapon," "The Goonies" and countless others -- has reportedly died.

The legendary filmmaker recently passed away -- this according to his production company, The Donner's Company, who confirmed the news to Variety. No word on when exactly he passed, or under what circumstances -- we've got calls in to his reps to figure it out.

At any rate ... it's a tragic update, as the guy was absolutely beloved in Hollywood -- and rightly so. He's responsible for some of the most iconic films to grace the big screen over the years -- including an incredible run of pictures from the late '70s throughout the '80s.

Donner got his first big directing break with the cult classic horror film "The Omen" (the original one), which catapulted him into stardom and led to his next major studio film, "Superman" (also the original) ... which paved the path for countless other flicks, including 'Goonies,' and ALL of the "Lethal Weapon" movies, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Other notable film directing credits of his include staple movies, such as "Scrooged," "The Toy," "Maverick," "Ladyhawke," "Assassins," "16 Blocks," "Timeline" and more. His EP credits are even more impressive.

Donner shepherded films like "The Lost Boys," "Free Willy," "X-Men" ... this list goes on. His death is actually quite shocking, and seemingly sudden -- just last year, he announced a desire to direct the 5th installment of "Lethal Weapon," and it seemed that was in the works.

We even congratulated Rich on that news a full year ago, when we ran into him out and about in Hollywood ... and chatted him up about the controversy (at the time) surrounding Amazon's new show, "Hunters," which was catching flak for its portrayal of the holocaust and the fallout that followed. In his mind, he said producers were to blame ... not directors.

At any rate ... very sad to hear. Donner is survived by his wife, Lauren. He was 91.