Overview
- Blanks died at his Melbourne home on Monday, March 16, 2026, according to a statement posted by his family on X.
- He broke out with Urban Legend (1998) for TriStar and later directed Valentine (2001), Storm Warning (2007) and Long Weekend (2008).
- In later years he focused on composing, with credits including Crawlspace and the 2025 horror What Are You Afraid Of?.
- The family said he had been preparing to direct another film and remained active mentoring and supporting fellow filmmakers.
- Tributes from the genre community have followed, and he is survived by his wife Simone, son Oliver, his parents and brothers; the family suggested honoring him by watching his films or John Carpenter’s The Fog.