James Foley, Director of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ Sequels, Dies at 71

James Foley, the longtime filmmaker known for directing “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “At Close Range” and the two “Fifty Shades of Grey” sequels, died this week at age 71, TheWrap has learned.

The director had been privately battling brain cancer over the last year. He died earlier this week peacefully in his sleep, a spokesperson said.

With mainstream international hits “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed” topping his years-long resume (and the latter marking his last film), Foley is also known for feature films “Fear,” “Who’s That Girl” starring Madonna (a frequent collaborator) and “The Chamber.” Work in television included “Billions,” 12 episodes of “House of Cards,” “Hannibal” and “Twin Peaks.”

He is survived by brother Kevin Foley and his wife Mary Anne Myers; sister Eileen Foley; sister Jo Ann Foley; and nephew Quinn Foley.

His body of work is wide-ranging, genre-hopping and eclectic — a fact that was not lost on the filmmaker when asked about his creative ambitions around the time of “Confidence,” the con man thriller starring Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Weisz.

“Not to be eclectic for eclectic’s sake, but if I follow this idea of “what do I like?” I guess it’s going to be eclectic,” Foley said at the time, linking the themes of “Glengarry Glen Ross” from playwright David Mamet to “Confidence.” “Looking back, I become conscious of connections between a bunch of films. Obviously, males who are alienated and estranged from the mainstream. Groupings of males and the dynamics among them.”

Foley was born in Brooklyn, raised on Staten Island, New York, and received a master’s degree in film study and production from the University of Southern California.

His first film was “Reckless” in 1984 from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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