Peter Medak, Veteran Director of “The Changeling” and “The Krays,” Dies at 88

Peter Medak died in Los Angeles on October 27, aged 88, according to a family statement that did not disclose a cause of death. Over six decades he directed 27 feature films and 59 television episodes, earning a reputation as an “actors’ director.”

Deadline Hollywood

Born on December 23, 1937, in Budapest, Medak first saw moving images at age eight with a hand-cranked projector. After surviving World II in hiding and fleeing Hungary during the 1956 Revolution, he settled in London. There he entered the film industry through a trainee position at Associated British-Pathé, advancing from editing to assistant-director work.

Peter Medak, Who Directed the Ghost Story the Changeling, Has Died at 88

Medak’s debut feature, the erotic drama Negatives (1968), launched his cinema career. He gained critical notice with the 1972 black comedies A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and The Ruling Class, the latter earning a Palme d’Or nomination and an Academy Award nod for Peter O’Toole. His 1980 horror film The Changeling, starring George C. Scott, won eight Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture, and is often cited as a favorite ghost story among directors. The 1990 gangster drama The Krays earned the Evening Standard Award for Best Director, and Let Him Have It (1991) revisited the Derek Bentley case. Other notable works include Romeo Is Bleeding (1993) with Gary Oldman and the 2018 documentary The Ghost of Peter Sellers, which won Best Documentary at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Deadline Hollywood

Medak directed episodes of series such as Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire, Breaking Bad, House, and the 1980s revival of The Twilight Zone. He also directed early music videos for Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel and staged operatic productions like La voix humaine with Julia Migenes. His final credited work was the 2018 Sellers documentary.

Deadline Hollywood

The family notice highlighted Medak’s peaceful passing and listed his surviving children—Christopher, Joshua, Karen, and Cornelia—and five grandchildren.

AV Club

Medak described the 1974 comedy Ghost in the Noonday Sun, starring Peter Sellers, as the “biggest nightmare” of his career. Production troubles and budget overruns led to its initial non-release; the film later appeared on home video in the early 1980s. Medak attributed the collapse mainly to Sellers’ erratic behavior.

The Guardian

The family’s statement omitted a medical cause of death. Sources differ on the exact number of television episodes he directed, with some citing 59 and others providing only selected series titles.

Deadline Hollywood

Medak’s work—from psychological horror to crime drama and prestige television—left a lasting imprint on film and TV. His skill in drawing strong performances from actors such as O’Toole, Scott and Oldman contributed to the cult status of many of his films and influenced later filmmakers.

AV Club