New Delhi, July 25 -- Chuck Russell, the filmmaker behind the 1994 Jim Carrey comedy The Mask and the cult horror film The Blob, has died at the age of 74.

Russell died unexpectedly on Wednesday, 22 July, at his home in the San Diego area, according to reports citing his family.

Emergency services were reportedly called to the property following a report of an unconscious man. His cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.

The filmmaker's death was reported as tributes began emerging for the director whose career spanned horror, comedy, action, and fantasy. Russell was best known for a run of films that helped define several popular genres during the 1980s and 1990s, including A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the Blob,...