Producer Michael Kagan Dies at 87
11:24 AM PST 11/18/2013 by Mike Barnes

The head of production for Cannon Films in the 1980s, he produced such films as “Death Wish 3,” “Superman IV: The Quest for Peace” and “The Jungle Book.”

Michael Kagan, the head of production at Cannon Films during its heyday who later produced such films as Air America and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, died Nov. 10 of natural causes in London. He was 87.



Kagan was the top production executive from 1982-88 at Cannon, which became a great Hollywood success story after it was purchased by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus for $500,000 in 1979.

Also a native of Israel, Kagan served as associate producer on two films directed by British helmer Michael Winner -- the remake of The Wicked Lady (1983), starring Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates and John Gielgud, and Death Wish 3 (1985) – and executive produced Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) during his time at Cannon.

Kagan’s résumé also includes the Agatha Christie tale Ordeal by Innocence (1984), also starring Dunaway; Déjà Vu (1985), starring Jaclyn Smith; Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce (1985); the Golan-written and -directed Mack the Knife (1989), toplined by Raul Julia and Richard Harris; and The Jungle Book (1994).

Kagan was a supervising producer for one season on the NBC sitcom Nurses, which aired from 1991-94 and was created by Susan Harris. That show was a spinoff of Harris' Empty Nest, itself a spinoff of The Golden Girls. 
Survivors include his wife, Kate.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producer-michael-kagan-dies-death-wish-cannon-films-657024

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