He was a North German, born in Emden and grew up in Hamburg. But he celebrated his greatest cinema success in Munich: Wolfgang Petersen shot “Das Boot” for Bavaria Film in 1981. The story about a U-boat crew in World War II appeared as a film and as a series – and made Petersen, who also wrote the screenplay, famous overnight. In 1986, Petersen moved to Los Angeles and launched an immensely successful Hollywood career: six of the films he was responsible for grossed more than $100 million after adjusting for inflation.
The filmmaker died at the age of 81 surrounded by his family at his home in Brentwood, California. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer.