The Lost Boys actor Alex Winter took to Twitter to pay tribute to the director following news of his death.
“Joel was a creative genius; a master at clothing design, costuming, writing and of course directing,” he wrote.
“Joel saw something in me as an actor I didn’t see and gave me the confidence and space to pursue it.
“Unfairly savaged by critics his entire career, his great work will live on.”
Actor Ben Stiller also paid tribute on Twitter, saying: “He was kind, talented and made movies we went to the theatres for. A true professional, and a magnetic presence.”