R.I.P. Eli RichbourgWriter, producer, and longtime Joel Schumacher collaborator Eli Richbourg suffered a brain aneurism in Paris Wednesday night, Deadline has confirmed. He was 42. Richbourg got his start in the art department on Schumacher’s Batman Forever, became his assistant on A Time To Kill, and rewrote many of the director’s films. He rose to second unit director on 8MM, associate produced Flawless, and directed second unit and served as associate producer on Tigerland, Bad Company, Phone Booth, and Veronica Guerin. He co-produced Phantom Of The Opera and executive produced The Number 23 and Blood Creek. Richbourgh’s 2001 short Calvin Stoller: The Last Abstract Expressionist was executive produced by Schumacher.

Most recently Richbourg rewrote Schumacher’s Trespass and sold a Rambo reboot pitch to Millenium. As VP of Film Development at video game company Ubisoft he was involved in developing Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell movie projects. Last fall Richbourg had his own WWII soccer pic script Dynamo, based on Andy Dougan’s book Dynamo: Defending The Honour Of Kiev, set for production by Pathé, Riviera Pictures, and FlynnPictureCo. with Gerard Butler starring. Richbourg was repped by Principato-Young. He is survived by his wife Gaelle and 2-year-old son Paul. A fund has been set up to help support Paul’s education. Email richbourgmemorial@gmail.com for instructions on giving.