Producer Michael J Kagan dies aged 87

Former Cannon Films executive Michael J Kagan has died in London aged 87.

Kagan was head of production at well-known indie Cannon between 1982-88, during which time he was associate producer on two films directed by UK director Michael Winner: the 1983 remake of The Wicked Lady, starring Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates and John Gielgud, and Death Wish 3 in 1985.

He was also executive producer on Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

At its height in the 1980s, Cannon, then owned by renowned producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, was producing dozens of films per year, many of them B-movie classics.

Later in his career Kagan was line producer on Roger Spottiswoode’s action-comedy Air America and co-producer on box office hit Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves as well as Stephen Sommers’ The Jungle Book.

Kagan is survived by his wife Kate.