Eric Karson, Director of ‘The Octagon’ and Producer of ‘Lionheart,’ Dies at 86
Film director and producer Eric Karson, known for martial-arts films including *The Octagon* and *Lionheart*, has died aged 86. His work helped establish Chuck Norris as an action star and supported Jean-Claude Van Damme’s rise to leading-man status in the United States.
Karson died on 24 August of natural causes while receiving hospice care in Henderson, Nevada, his brother said. He made his feature directing debut with *The Octagon* in 1980, later directed Van Damme in *Black Eagle* and produced *Lionheart* in 1990. He also directed *Angel Town* and *Opposing Force*, and survivors include his wife Tara and siblings Gil, Lisa and Michael.
In short
- Eric Karson has died aged 86.
- He directed Chuck Norris in *The Octagon*.
- He produced Van Damme’s *Lionheart*.
Explained simply
Eric Karson was an American film director and producer whose work focused on action films, including martial-arts stories. These films often centred on skilled fighters and helped bring the genre to a wider cinema audience.
Karson’s 1980 film The Octagon starred Chuck Norris, a martial artist who became a major action-film star. Karson later worked with Jean-Claude Van Damme, directing Black Eagle and producing Lionheart, films that helped establish Van Damme in American cinema.