'The Mask' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 3' Director Chuck Russell Dead at 74

Published Jul 24, 2026, 3:57 PM EDT A cinematic obsessive with the filmic palate of a starving raccoon, Rob London will watch pretty much anything once. With a mind like a steel trap, he's an endless fount of movie and TV trivia, borne from a misspent youth of watching monster movies on TV, perusing the sun-faded goods at the local video rental shop, and staining his fingers with ink from the Video Movie Guide. Areas of interest include science fiction, film noir, horror flicks, '70s disaster pictures, Bond movies, '90s action, giant robots, dinosaurs, super heroes, and the exuberantly schlocky output of Cannon Films. He also enjoys both Star Trek and Star Wars when they're good, and maybe even more when they're bad. As a Canadian, he also has a vested interest in Canadian movies and TV shows, especially the cheesier ones dubbed "Canuxploitation." An expert on Marvel Comics, he has also written for the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and is a member of the Marvel Research Team. He can frequently be found pontificating on comic-book continuity or bemoaning the misfortunes of the Toronto Maple Leafs on his Twitter account. Sign in to your Collider account Director Chuck Russell has died. Russell was best known for weaving special effects into a compelling narrative in films like A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, The Mask, and The Scorpion King. Russell was 74. Charles Russell was born on May 9, 1952 in Park Ridge, Illinois. Relocating to Los Angeles, he began his film career as an assistant director and production manager. While working on the 1981 slasher movie Hell Night with Linda Blair, he met screenwriter Frank Darabont; the two would go on to become frequent collaborators. Russell wrote the script for Dreamscape, a surreal horror film starring Dennis Quaid; a minor hit, it earned him the notice of New Line Cinema, and he was tapped to direct and write (with Darabont) the horror sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. Now considered one of the best entries in the franchise, Dream Warriors solidified the Freddy Krueger persona, and landed Russell and Darabont a gig remaking the 1960s creature feature The Blob. The gruesome reimagining became a cult classic. What Is 'The Mask'? The Blob was not a box office success, and Russell's next directing gig wouldn't come for another six years. An adaptation of an obscure Dark Horse Comics series starring Jim Carrey, then largely known for the sketch series In Living Color, The Mask was an unlikely hit, but Russell blended Carrey's antics with eye-popping CG effects to make a comedy blockbuster. It went on to make over $350 million USD, and set Russell up with another big-screen icon: Arnold Schwarzenegger. He directed the action star in Eraser, a big-budget blockbuster that was one of the last big hits of the initial phase of Schwarzenegger's career, and then went on to direct the up-and-coming action star Dwayne Johnson in his first leading role, The Mummy spin-off The Scorpion King. Russell took a hiatus from directing after The Scorpion King, and returned in the last decade with a number of action features, including I Am Wrath with John Travolta, and even travelled to India to direct the Hindi-language feature Junglee. His last film returned him to his horror roots; he helmed Witchboard, a remake of the classic 1980s chiller, in 2024. Russell recently gave a retrospective interview covering his entire career to Collider. He died suddenly in his home at age 74; no cause of death has yet been reported. Collider extends our sympathies to Russell's friends and family. Release Date July 29, 1994 Runtime 101 minutes Director Chuck Russell Cast Stanley Ipkiss / The Mask Peter Riegert Mitch Kellaway Writers Mike Werb, Michael Fallon, Mark Verheiden Producers Deborah Moore, Mike Richardson Sequel(s) Son of the Mask