Barbara Ling, the Oscar-winning production designer behind Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, has died at the age of 73. Confirming the news, a WME spokesperson told Deadline that Ling had passed away in Santa Barbara on Thursday, after receiving a cancer diagnosis. She is survived by her wife, Lindsay, and their sons, Clay and Will.
"Equally gifted at period authenticity, contemporary realism, and stylised fantasy, Ling leaves behind a legacy that profoundly influenced the art of production design and the visual language of modern filmmaking," her family said in a statement.
Born in 1952, Ling, who grew up in Los Angeles, worked on major Hollywood hits. Among them, the production designer lent her talents to Joel Schumacher's Batman films, as well as A Man Called Otto (2022), and Michael (2026), which recently became the highest-grossing biographical film of all time.
A pivotal moment in her career, Ling famously took home the Academy Award for Best Production Design in 2020, after working on Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
Following the news of her passing, tributes have poured in from A-list stars. Among them, actress and singer Rita Wilson penned a heartfelt caption on Instagram. "Barbara Ling was our production designer on A Man Called Otto," she began.
"In 2020, she won an Oscar for her production design for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. What she did on that film was extraordinary because there were no special effects or CGI in how she and Tarantino created 70s Hollywood. Hollywood is my home town. Her work replicated that era perfectly. To understand how she accomplished this 'old school' is mind boggling when you're filming in 2019.
"Seeing her work in that film, the reality, the detail, the creativity made me realise she had to be the person who brought A Man Called Otto into visual reality. Barbara was quiet, kind, detailed, tenacious, and funny. She was one of the greats. And she will be missed."
Fans have also paid tribute on X. "RIP Barbara Ling. Thank you for creating this version of Gotham City," wrote one. "RIP Barbara Ling, the production designer who brought to life Joel Schumacher's vision of Gotham City. Her work on the Schumacher films was incredible. Brilliant stuff," added another.
