Director George Hickenlooper, whose latest film Casino Jack is due for release next month, died this morning, October 30, 2010, in Denver Colorado. Hickenlooper was in town preparing for a screening of Casino Jack later this week at the Starz Denver Film Festival. His death was confirmed by his cousin, Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, to the Denver Post. He was 47.
Prior to the accolades he has been receiving on the festival circuit for Casino Jack, Hickenlooper was probably best known for Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, a documentary that looked at the tumultuous production of Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now. Additionally, he directed the documentary The Mayor Of Sunset Strip and the features Dogtown and Factory Girl. His documentary Hick Town followed his cousin John’s trip to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Although his death is being investigated as per Denver police protocol, it is thought to be from natural causes.
