Daily Times

Andy Vajna, a Hungarian-American film producer who worked on several Rambo movies with Sylvester Stallone, Total Recall with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Madonna’s Evita, has died. He was 74.

Vajna, who produced many other films, died Sunday at his Budapest home after a long illness, Hungary’s National Film Fund said.

Schwarzenegger remembered Vajna as “a dear friend and a revolutionary force in Hollywood.” “He proved that you don’t need studios to make huge movies,” Schwarzenegger posted on Twitter. “He had a huge heart, and he was one of the most generous guys around. I’ll miss him.”

Stallone paid tribute to Vajna on Instagram, calling him “a pioneer” and “the man that made Rambo” happen. Vajna believed in First Blood, the first Rambo film, “when no one else did. This truly breaks my heart,” Stallone said. Vajna was also the owner of the TV2 Group, a Hungarian company which owns several television channels, including TV2, one of Hungary’s two main broadcasters and politically aligned closely with Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government.

Published in Daily Times, January 22^nd 2019.