Richard Donner is getting a lot of praise from friends, fans, and contemporaries in the wake of his death, and PETA is also honoring the late filmmaker. Donner, who's known for directing iconic movies like The Goonies, Superman, and Lethal Weapon, also executive produced Free Willy and its two sequels. The movie helped to raise awareness about the problems with capturing orcas and keeping them in captivity for the sake of entertainment.

Keiko, the real-life orca who "played" Willy in Free Willy, was fortunate enough to have a much better life after the movie. The success of the movie led to the orca's rescue, and after he was successfully rehabilitated, the whale was released back into the ocean in Norway. Grateful for Donner's efforts in helping Keiko and other orcas like him, PETA honored the filmmaker with a statement of their own. The animal rights organization stated:

"PETA will remember Richard as a brilliant director and producer whose movies drew people to view animals as someone, not something. A pioneer, long before Blackfish opened eyes and hearts, Richard revealed the anguish of captive orcas with Free Willy-and, thanks to the impact of his film, Keiko the orca was rescued from marine park prison and spent many joyful years swimming free in Norway's coastal waters. Richard holds a special place in PETA's heart for his activism and kindness, and we will miss him."

Released in 1993, Free Willy was directed by Simon Wincer and written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman. Richard Donner served as an executive producer with his wife Lauren Shuler Donner producing. It stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends a captive orca and devises a plan to free him back into the ocean. It was a tremendous hit at the box office and spawned a franchise, and Donner would return to executive produce the sequels Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home and Free Willy 3: The Rescue.

PETA's statement also references Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite's documentary that was released in 2013. The harrowing doc focuses on the captivity of an orca who'd spent most of his life at SeaWorld resorts and was involved in the deaths of three people. It drastically affected SeaWorld's business and led to widespread condemnation of entertainment-driven orca captivity. The acclaimed doc has a 98% certified fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Donner died on Monday at the age of 91, though a cause of death wasn't revealed. At the time, he had been planning a return to the director's chair with plans to direct Lethal Weapon 5 as his final movie. Lethal Weapon stars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were also among the many paying tribute to Donner after his death, as were the stars of The Goonies and many others in Hollywood.

There was certainly no one else quite like Donner, and the kind-hearted filmmaker will forever be missed. If you want to celebrate Donner's work by revisiting the original Free Willy, the movie can be found streaming on HBO Max. You can also find more about PETA by visiting the official website at PETA.org.