Barbara Ling Dead: ‘Michael’ & ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Production Designer Was 73
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- Barbara Ling died Thursday in Santa Barbara at age 73 after a cancer diagnosis, a WME spokesperson confirmed to Deadline.
- Ling won the Best Production Design Oscar for 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' alongside set decorator Nancy Haigh, plus an Art Directors Guild Award, Critics' Choice Award, and BAFTA and Satellite nominations.
- The Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide since its April release, with Ling serving as production designer on director Antoine Fuqua's film.
- Ling designed sets and lighting for over 200 theater, opera, and musical productions before transitioning to film, starting with lighting work on 'The Pee-Wee Herman Show' (1981) and production design on David Byrne's 'True Stories' (1986).
- Ling's filmography spans 'Less Than Zero' (1987), 'The Doors' (1991), 'Fried Green Tomatoes' (1991, where she also served as associate producer), 'Batman Forever' (1995), 'Batman & Robin' (1997), 'Hearts in Atlantis' (2001), 'No Reservations' (2007), and 'A Man Called Otto' (2022).
- Ling is survived by wife Lindsay and sons Clay and Will, per the family's statement, with The Hollywood Reporter first breaking the news of her death.
Why it matters: Ling's death removes a production designer whose range spanned 200+ stage productions, two Batman blockbusters, and a Tarantino Oscar winner, capped by the nearly $1B-grossing 'Michael' biopic that hit theaters just last month.
