The producer behind the Police Academy franchise, Paul Maslansky, has died at 91, as per Police Academy writer Pat Profit's statement on December 6. Paul was also known for getting three world-class directors to help push the cult classic Return of Oz to publication.
Police Academy, after its release in 1984, was an instant success as a comedy. It had six sequels, an animated series, and a live-action TV show.
While talking about his experience working for The Police Academy, Paul, in a 2021 interview, mentioned,
"Police Academy changed my life, in terms of material things. I always knew that I was decent at my job, but I never had a hit in the movie business. I had turned 50 and made 25, 30 pictures..but I hadn't had a breakout hit. That was the one.
Profit while paying tribute to Maslansky on Facebook recalled their time together while working on Profit's first film and said,
"Thanlful for meeting Paul Maslansky. He hired me and Neal Israel to research and write Police Academy. First film I ever wrote. Paul has passed away. Sally and his son...sorry for your loss. He left behind a trail of comedies. Good life."
His partner of 16 years, Sally Maslansky, while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, mentioned that the actor died of natural causes on December 2 at a hospital in Las Robles, California.
Born in Harlem, New York, the producer made his debut in Italy on The Castle of the Living Dead in 1964, which starred Christopher Lee.
More about Paul Maslansky's producing career
Paul Maslansky, best known for producing The Police Academy, started his career working on films like The Castle of the Living Dead (1964), The Blue Bird (1976), Fred Schepisi's The Russia House, which was shot in the Soviet Union, featuring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer in 1990. He also worked on Race with the Devil, Damnation Alley, Return to Oz, Cop & I 1/2, and Fluke.
The producer was also known for collaborating on the 1978 Emmy-nominated limited series King, a biographical drama about Martin Luther King Jr.
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Paul gained prominence in the industry through his stalwart work and notable collaborations with professionals like Alan Ladd Jr.
His most recent production project was the 2017 biography drama Death of the Sheik, directed by Vladislav Alex Kozlov, and had other projects like The Bridge, Coming Through Slaughter, and the eighth installment of Police Academy under works.
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