Ali
Andy Vajna, the prolific producer behind many Hungarian and international productions, and a partner in the legendary independent studio Carolco, died this past weekend.
Carolco, which Vajna formed with partner Mario Kassar in the 1970’s, was responsible for such hits as the “Rambo” films, “Angel Heart”, “Air America” and “Narrow Margin”.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who worked with the Budapest-born producer on “Terminator 3 : Rise of the Machines” and “Total Recall”, took to his socials to post a tribute to Vajna :
“Andy Vajna was a dear friend and a revolutionary force in Hollywood. He proved that you don’t need studios to make huge movies like Terminator 2 or Total Recall. He had a huge heart, and he was one of the most generous guys around. I’ll miss him. My thoughts are with his family.”
James Cameron, director of 1991’s “Terminator 2 : Judgement Day”, also remembered Vajna :
“Andy Vajna was a great friend and collaborator. He believed in me on one of my toughest shoots, Terminator 2. I will miss him, his humor, class and style, but especially the motorcycle rides”.
In December 1989, Vajna sold all his interest in Carolco for $106 million and formed Cinergi Productions, Inc. Under that banner, he helped bring to the screen such films as “Evita”, “Medicine Man”, “Judge Dredd” and “Die Hard with a Vengeance”.
Vajna’s Carolco folded in 1995, after the failure of big-budget pirate film “Cutthroat Island” starring Geena Davis. After his time in Hollywood, Vajna returned to Hungary, where he was named the government commissioner in charge of the country’s film industry in 2011.
