'Deer Hunter' filmmaker Michael Cimino dead at 77

LOS ANGELES, July 3 (UPI) -- Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Cimino has died at the age of 77.

The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed to the public.

The New York native was best known for his films The Deer Hunter, Heaven's Gate, Year of the Dragon, The Sicilian and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

"With his visionary approach and attention to every detail, Michael Cimino is forever etched in the history of filmmaking," Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay said in a statement Saturday.

"In his most iconic work, the 1978 DGA and Academy Award-winning film The Deer Hunter, Michael captured the horrors of war through a personalized lens -- captivating a nation in the process. Our deepest condolences to Michael's family and friends."

"Our work together is something I will always remember. He will be missed," Robert DeNiro, who appeared in The Deer Hunter, said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.