Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, best known for his inventive 2004 documentary “Super Size Me,” passed away on Thursday, May 23, in New York due to complications from cancer. He was 53 years old. His publicist, David Magdael, confirmed the news in a statement.
Spurlock gained widespread fame for “Super Size Me,” a documentary in which he consumed only McDonald’s fast food for a month. The film was a massive success, earning over $20 million at the global box office.
“It was a sad day as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” said his brother Craig in the statement. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Throughout his career, Spurlock produced and directed nearly 70 documentaries, including “Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?” about the U.S. war in Afghanistan, and “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” a meta film about marketing a movie.
In 2017, during the #MeToo movement, Spurlock penned a confession admitting he was “part of the problem.” He recounted a sexual episode in college that his female partner had experienced as nonconsensual, which he found confusing. He also mentioned settling a sexual harassment allegation at his office around 2011, where he had verbally harassed his female assistant by calling her names like “hot pants” or “sex pants.” This admission led to his resignation from his production company, and both YouTube and Sundance pulled his documentary “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken” from their platforms. The film was eventually released and reviewed by Business Insider in 2019, but Spurlock’s IMDb page shows no projects after 2017.
