Today is a sad day for science fiction and fantasy, as sources are reporting that former Oscar nominee Melissa Mathison has passed away. Her death was confirmed to Variety via her brother, Dirk Mathison. Melissa was only 65 at the time of her passing on Wednesday, November 4th when her battle with neuroendocrine cancer came to an end at her residence in Los Angeles.
Melissa Mathison was a world renowned writer, who penned the scripts for E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) segment “2”, and perhaps one of my favorite childhood films of all time – The Indian in the Cupboard (1995). Her other out of genre credits include writing The Black Stallion (1979) and working as various assistants on The Godfather: Part II (1974), Apocalypse Now (1979) and Ponyo (2008).
Though her only contribution to horror lies with Twilight Zone: The Movie, I think we can all agree that Ms. Mathison lent a particularly talented hand in expanding our minds as children and opening our taste in film to the science fiction genre and fantasy genres. So much magic was created in Hollywood during her career and we can all thank her for that.
All of us here at HorrorSociety.com send our condolences to her family, friends and fans.
R.I.P. Melissa Mathison
June 3, 1950 – November 4, 2015
