'L.A. Confidential' director Curtis Hanson dead at 71

Oscar-winning filmmaker Curtis Hanson died on Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood hills, leaving an acclaimed portfolio which includes neo-noir crime thriller "L.A. Confidential." He was 71.

The Los Angeles Police Department said officers visited Hanson's home for a "death investigation" and Hanson was pronounced dead at the scene, apparently of natural causes.     

A Reno, Nevada native, Hanson began his film career in 1970 working on the adapted screenplay of "The Dunwich Horror." 

His other screenwriting credits include "Sweet Kill," "The Silent Partner," "Never Cry Wolf" and "The Bedroom Window."    

His fledgling directorial career began taking off with the 1992 thriller "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and he made "The River Wild" two years later.

He is best known for directing a star-studded ensemble cast for 1997's "L.A. Confidential" that included Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell and Danny DeVito.    

He won his Academy Award alongside Brian Helgeland for the film's adapted screenplay.

His other directing credits include "Wonder Boys," "8 Mile," and the HBO film "Too Big to Fail," which chronicles the 2008 global financial meltdown.

His most recent directing effort was 2012's "Chasing Mavericks," starring Gerard Butler and Elisabeth Shue.