Snakes on a Plane director David R. Ellis has passed away. There's no cause of death at the moment, but he was in Johannesburg, South Africa preparing to shoot the his live-action adaptation of the 1998 Japanese Anime KITE. It would have reunited him with star Samuel L. Jackson.
Ellis was 60 years old and started out his career in Hollywood as an actor. From there he became a stuntman and stunt coordinator. In 1986, Ellis became a second unit director, directing the action sequences on films such as Waterworld, The Matrix Reloaded and Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone. The first feature film he directed was Disney's film Homeward Bound 2: Lost In San Francisco. From there he went on to direct films such as Final Destination 2, Cellular, Asylum, The Final Destination and Shark Night 3D.
Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends.