It was with great sadness today that we heard about the passing of Ray Harryhausen.

In a statement on The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation facebook page, the family stated:

“The Harryhausen family regret to announce the death of Ray Harryhausen, Visual Effects pioneer and stop-motion model animator. He was a multi-award winner which includes a special Oscar and BAFTA. Ray’s influence on today’s film makers was enormous, with luminaries; Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, George Lucas, John Landis and the UK’s own Nick Park have cited Harryhausen as being the man whose work inspired their own creations.”

Ray Harryhausen’s work consistently raised the bar in visual effects and his work can be admired in classics such as The Clash of Titans, Jason and The Argonauts, It Came From Beneath The Sea, the Sinbad series and Mighty Joe Young, for which he won an Oscar.

About The Author

Colin lives in south west London. Looks like a hobbit and has been watching films ever since he saw Return of the Jedi at the age of 3. You can follow Colin on Twitter @obicolkenobi.