Wolfgang Petersen, Director of ‘Das Boot’ and ‘Air Force One,’ Dies at 81

Wolfgang Petersen, whose German-language film “Das Boot” launched a successful Hollywood filmmaking career that included star-studded films like “Air Force One” and “The Perfect Storm,” has died, a representative told TheWrap. He was 81.Petersen died Friday with his wife Maria Antoinette by his side after a battle with pancreatic cancer.Also Read:Academy CEO Hints at Oscars Ceremony Having Producers for ‘Multiple Years’Petersen’s film “Das Boot” or “The Boat” (1981) launched his career in Hollywood after the close-quarters WWII submarine drama received six Academy Award nominations. The film starred Jürgen Prochnow as the German U-boat Captain, and was made into an English-language miniseries by the BBC.His first Hollywood venture was the live-action fantasy “The NeverEnding Story” (1984), which he co-wrote. The now-cult classic follows a young boy named Bastian (Barret Oliver) who stumbles upon a fantastical world accused via a magical book. The world merges with his own when ...