Longtime director known for such films as the sci-fi horror Alien, the cult classic Blade Runner and the Academy Award winning historical drama Gladiator. As a student at the Royal College of Art, he wrote for the school's magazine, ARK, and helped establish the college's film program. His first film, The Duellists, was a big hit at Cannes film festival in 1977, winning the Best Debut Film Award and receiving a nomination for the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or.