'E.T.' Hollywood screenwriter Melissa Mathison dies

Melissa Mathison, best known for her screenplay for the 1982 movie "E.T. the Extra Terrestrial" and the former wife of actor Harrison Ford, died on Wednesday, US media reported.

Mathison, 65, died of cancer at a Los Angeles area hospital, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing her brother Dirk Mathison.

The screenplay for director Steven Spielberg's "E.T." was nominated for an Oscar.

"Melissa had a heart that shined with generosity and love and burned as bright as the heart she gave E.T.," Spielberg said in a statement.

Mathison's other film credits include "The Black Stallion" (1979), "The Escape Artist" (1982), and "The Indian in the Cupboard" (1995).

She also wrote the screenplay for "Kundun" (1997), about the Dalai Lama's youth, and for "The BFG", a family film about children and a giant due out in mid 2016 and also directed by Spielberg.

Mathison married Harrison Ford in 1983 and the couple had two children, named Malcolm and Georgia. They divorced in 2004.

Source: AFP