Filmmaker and producer Michael Laughlin has died at 82 from COVID-19 complications

Filmmaker and producer Michael Laughlin died in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 82 due to COVID-19 complications.

Laughlin died October 20, his friend Brooke Nasser told Variety.

The Illinois-born Laughlin had been recruited by Stanford University to play basketball, and eventually graduated in 1960 from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.

The latest: Filmmaker and producer Michael Laughlin died in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 82 due to COVID-19 complications

Laughlin began producing movies in the late 60s, as he worked on movies such as The Whispers in 1967 with Bryan Forbes, and Joanna in 1968 with director Michael Sarne.

In the 1970s, he produced a series of independent feature films, most notably the 1971 movie Two-Lane Blacktop from director Monte Hellman. 

Laughlin was featured in a 2007 Criterion Collection release of the cult hit. The film in 2012 was put in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

In the 1980s, he wrote and directed a trio of motion pictures, including the 1981 horror film Strange Behaviors, the 1983 sci-fi film Strange Invaders, and the 1985 drama Mesmerized featuring Jodie Foster and John Lithgow.

Behind the lens: In the 1980s, he wrote and directed a trio of motion pictures, including the 1981 horror film Strange Behaviors, the 1983 sci-fi film Strange Invaders, and the 1985 drama Mesmerized featuring Jodie Foster and John Lithgow

In addition to his cinematic endeavors, Laughlin also owned a farm and was a writer, putting out the book Radical Golf in 1996 and forthcoming posthumous memoir

Accomplished: Laughlin was involved in films as a director, producer and writer 

He was a co-writer on the 2001 film Town & Country that starred Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn and the late Garry Shandling.

In addition to his cinematic endeavors, Laughlin also owned a farm and was a writer, putting out the book Radical Golf in 1996 and forthcoming posthumous memoir.

Laughlin was married to French actress Leslie Caron until their 1975 separation, according to Variety. He lived with writer Susanna Moore from 1976 to 1991.

Laughlin is survived by stepchildren Christopher Hall, Jennifer Caron Hall and Lulu Sylbert.

Laughlin produced the 1971 movie Two-Lane Blacktop featuring Dennis Wilson, Laurie Bird and  James Taylor

Laughlin was a co-writer on the 2001 film Town & Country that starred Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton