“Curtis Hanson, whose sterling adaptation of the noir classic ‘L.A. Confidential’ earned him an Oscar (for screenwriting) and vaulted him to A-list status as a screenwriter and director, has died,” reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The story continues, “Hanson, who also helmed such box-office hits as the Rebecca De Mornay horror thriller ‘The Hand That Rocks the Cradle’(1992) and the Eminem hip-hop drama ‘8 Mile’(2002), died Tuesday afternoon in a home in the Hollywood Hills, according to the LAPD. Paramedics had been called to the scene and found him dead.” Hanson was 71.

Hanson also directed the cult favorite “Wonder Boys” (2000), with Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire, which was a bust in its theatrical release.

In 2011, the TV movie Hanson directed for HBO about the financial crisis of 2008, “Too Big To Fail,” was nominated for multiple Emmys, including outstanding TV movie and outstanding direction.

Earlier in his career Hanson wrote two top-notch thrillers, “The Silent Partner” (1978) and “The Bedroom Window” (1987). The latter he also directed.

Here’s Hanson on a segment of Charlie Rose’s PBS show in 1997, discussing “L.A. Confidential.”