He passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, reports the New Zealand news site Stuff.
Tamahori was born in Wellington in 1950 and began his career in film as a sound engineer in the late 1970s.
He made his directorial debut with “The Warrior’s Soul” in 1994, about Maori culture, colonialism and domestic violence. The film was highly acclaimed, paved the way for a career in Hollywood and was followed by films such as “Mulholland Falls” and “In the Spider’s Web”.
Tamahori also directed the Bond film "Die Another Day" with Pierce Brosnan in the role of agent Bond.
Tamahori was also involved in the series "The Sopranos", but it was something he himself downplayed.
I only directed one episode, and in a series like The Sopranos, the director doesn't matter. The actors and the story come first. It's different with film, Tamahori told TT in 2001.
