Celebrated Director James Foley Passes Away at 71!

James Foley, acclaimed for his work on both the big and small screen, has passed away at the age of 71. Known for steering the cinematic direction of Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, Foley died peacefully at his Los Angeles home earlier this week after a prolonged battle with brain cancer, according to a statement from his representatives. The official cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

Foley’s career spanned decades and genres. He launched into filmmaking with his 1984 debut Reckless, featuring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn, and gained critical acclaim for the powerhouse drama Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon. His cinematic repertoire also includes the psychological thriller Fear, the crime drama Confidence, and Perfect Stranger with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis.

In the mid-1980s, Foley made a splash in the music world by directing a trio of iconic Madonna music videos — Papa Don’t Preach, Live to Tell, and True Blue — under the alias Peter Percher. He later collaborated with the pop icon again, this time under his real name, on the 1987 feature film Who’s That Girl.

On television, Foley left a strong impression, notably directing 12 episodes of Netflix’s House of Cards, a key series in the platform’s early original content lineup. His television work also extended to acclaimed shows like Twin Peaks, Hannibal, and Billions.

Though he was not at the helm for the original Fifty Shades of Grey, Foley’s direction of its two sequels helped drive the franchise’s massive box office success and elevated stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan to global fame.

James Foley’s body of work reflects a director unafraid to traverse genres, platforms, and creative identities, leaving behind a legacy of bold storytelling and lasting visual influence.

Written By Queen Diana