Robert Benton dead: Bonnie and Clyde co-creator dies as son confirms cause

-winning filmmaker Robert Benton has died at the age of 92. The co-creator of Bonnie And Clyde is said to have helped to "reset" the rules in Hollywood during his successful career.

His death was confirmed by his son John. He said his died died at home in Manhattan of "natural causes".

Robert's career spanned over 40 years. He bagged six Oscar nominations during that time, winning on three occasions. His victories came for writing and directing Kramer Vs Kramer and for writing Places In The Heart.

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Robert directed Oscar-winning performances by the likes of , and Sally Field in his career. While he had severe which left him unable to read more than a few pages at a time as a child, he went on to write and direct film adaptations of novels by Philip Roth, EL Doctorow and Richard Russo, among others.

Robert and the then-Esquire editor David Newman drafted a treatment about the lives of Depression-era robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the 1960s. In it, they imagined them as prototypes for 1960s rebels.

The project took years to complete as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard were among the directors who turned them. Eventually, Warren Beatty agreed to produce and star in the movie.

Bonnie and Clyde, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Beatty and Faye Dunaway went on to became one of the touchstones of 1960s culture. It then began to open the door for a more creative era in Hollywood.

After his Bonny and Clyde success, he continued to have critical and commercial success, despite not reaching the heights of the iconic film,

Other writing credits went on to include Superman and What's Up, Doc? He also directed and co-wrote other works such as Bad Company, which was a revisionist western featuring Jeff Bridges.

In 1979, his career took off again thanks to his adaptation of the Avery Corman novel Kramer Vs Kramer.

The film about a self-absorbed advertising executive who becomes a loving parent to his young son after his wife walks out, only to have her return and ask for custody, left Robert with huge praise.

The flick, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep was very well received by fans and critics alike.

Following his death, fans took to social media to pay their respects. On Twitter/X one user wrote: "Robert Benton had an amazing career as a filmmaker (KRAMER VS KRAMER, etc) & writer (BONNIE & CLYDE, etc) but for me he's primarily the guy behind one of the all-timer detective pictures, THE LATE SHOW (1977). If you love THE LONG GOODBYE or say POKER FACE, it's a much-watch."

Another added: "In memory of Robert Benton, along with a number of images from his hit productions."

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