Stacy title dies: ‘the bye bye man’ director was 56

Stacy title dies: ‘the bye bye man’ director was 56


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Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stacy Title died today after a three-year battle with ALS, her longtime manager, producing partner and friend Dannie Festa confirmed to Deadline. She was 56. Title,


whose father was a commercial producer, grew up in New York. She entered the business with a splash: Title’s first produced work, the 1993 short film _Down on the Waterfront,_ earned an


Oscar nomination in 1994. The same year, she made her feature directorial debut with _The Last Supper_ starring Cameron Diaz. Title started gravitating toward the horror genre with 1999’s_


Let the Devil Wear Black,_ which she also co-wrote, and the 2006 _Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror,_ until she found success with the 2017 _The Bye Bye Man._ But just as big opportunities started


opening for Title — in 2017, she also made her episodic directing debut with_ Freakish_ — tragedy struck. WATCH ON DEADLINE In August 2017, Title was rear-ended in a car accident. After she


started noticing small changes in her walking and speaking patterns, Title underwent a series of medical tests. In December2017, she was diagnosed with ALS, with the doctors suggesting that


the accident might have triggered the neurodegenerative and fatal disease in her system. ALS ravaged Title’s body at a frightening speed. By March, she couldn’t walk. By September 2018, she


couldn’t talk or swallow; she was on a feeding tube and a ventilator. Yet, Title persevered and made plans to direct one final movie, _Walking Time Bomb_, with Jason Alexander, Cary Elwes


and Bob Odenkirk attached to star. Unfortunately, the movie did not get made, but Title’s courage and determination to not let her illness define her earned her industrywide respect and


admiration. Over the past three years, Title became an advocate for people with disabilities in Hollywood and directed ALS PSAs. In her battle, Title was supported until the end by her


husband of more than 30 years, _Survivor_ alum Jonathan Penner, a writer-producer who co-wrote with Title a number of feature and TV projects, including _Let the Devil Wear Black_ and the


WB’s high-profile _Lone Ranger_ pilot. In addition to Penner, Title is survived by their two children.