John G. Avildsen

John Guilbert Avildsen (December 21, 1935 – June 16, 2017) was an American film director. He is best known for directing ''Rocky'' (1976), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director. He is also renowned for directing the first three films in ''The Karate Kid'' franchise (1984–1989). Other films he directed include ''Joe'' (1970), ''Save the Tiger'' (1973), ''The Formula'' (1980), ''Neighbors'' (1981), ''Lean on Me'' (1989), ''Rocky V'' (1990), ''8 Seconds'' (1994), and ''Inferno'' (1999). Provided by Wikipedia