John Avildsen, Oscar-winning director of ‘Rocky’ and ‘The Karate Kid,’ dies

John G Avildsen, who as the director of “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid” created pop culture touchstones by telling stories of down-and-out characters finding triumph, died on Friday in Los Angeles. He was 81.

Anthony Avildsen, Mr. Avildsen’s son, said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer, the New York Times reports,  citing the Associated Press.

Last year, Mr Avildsen, who had steadily made films for nearly a half century, told The Baltimore Sun that he was initially hesitant about taking on “Rocky” — a story about the rise of Rocky Balboa, a working-class boxer with a big heart from South Philadelphia. But the director was eventually won over by its character study and love story, saying “I was charmed by it.”

“I guess what ‘Rocky’ did was give a lot of people hope, and there was never a better feeling than doing that,” Mr. Avildsen said after his film earned him the Academy Award for best director in 1977. “And I had a lot of people who gave me things. Sylvester Stallone gave me his guts and his heart and his best shot.” Mr. Stallone, who also wrote the film, became a star thanks to the role.

One of Mr Avildsen’s earlier films, “Save the Tiger,” a 1973 drama, earned Jack Lemmon the Oscar for best actor. And Mr. Avildsen’s 1982 short documentary “Traveling Hopefully” was nominated for an Academy Award.

“The Karate Kid,” which had its premiere in 1984, is the story of a teenager who outwits bullies and becomes a karate champion with the help of his martial arts mentor. Like “Rocky,” it culminates in an all-out fight scene.