Filmmaker Ruggero Deodato has reportedly died. Per The Sun, the filmmaker, perhaps best known for the wildly controversial horror flick Cannibal Holocaust, died on Thursday, though no details on his passing were immediately made available. Deodato, who was beloved in the horror community with many fans now paying tribute in the wake of the news, was 83 years old.

“RIP Ruggero Deodato,” one saddened fan writes online. “Cannibal Holocaust remains one of the most brutally effective horror movies ever made, not to mention the inspiration for the entire found footage sub genre.”

“Heartbroken at the passing of the one and only Ruggero Deodato,” writes another fan. “His work will forever be impactful and influential. He did so much for my favourite silly little genre as well as Italian cinema as a whole. Thank you for everything, you will forever be cherished.”

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Echoing many others, another post reads, “Very sad to hear that Ruggero Deodato has passed away. A fine filmmaker and the director of arguably the most notorious video nasty, Cannibal Holocaust. R.I.P.”

Ruggero Deodato Was an Inspiration to Filmmakers and Fans

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Cannibal Holocaust is infamous for its graphic content, resulting in the film getting outright banned in many countries. The film, originally released in 1980, had special effects that seemed so realistic that Deodato had even been arrested on suspicion of murder; the charges were dropped after he brought out the actors, alive and well, to the courtroom. It’s also been cited as the pioneer of found footage horror films before The Blair Witch Project would revitalize the genre in the 1990s.

Deodato is also said to have been an inspiration for filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Oliver Stone, and Eli Roth; he even appeared in Roth’s Hostel: Part II playing a cannibal. The director’s other film work includes Jungle Holocaust, The House on the Edge of the Park, Raiders of Atlantis, Body Count, Cut and Run, The Barbarians, Phantom of Death, and Ballad of Blood. Recently, Deodato also served as a script director on the video game Borneo: A Jungle Nightmare.

In 2019, Deodato was also the subject of a documentary called Deodato Holocaust. The doc, helmed by Felipe M. Guerra, explored the life and career of the controversial director. Deodato participated in the doc, speaking about his memories of working on his various movies.

The filmmaker was previously married to Silvia Dionisio, with whom he had a son. Our thoughts are with Deodato’s family and friends at this painful time. Rest in peace, Ruggero Deodato.