He was 91. No cause of death was shared.
CNN has contacted Donner's attorney and Warner Bros., the studio behind the "Lethal Weapon" films, for comment.
Donner and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler Donner, together ran The Donners' Company, where they launched films including "Free Willy," "X-Men" and "Deadpool."
Donner's career in film and television spanned six decades. Among his notable directing projects were 1978's "Superman," 1985's "Ladyhawke" with Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfieffer, 1988's "Scrooged" starring Bill Murray and the 1985 film "The Goonies," which was produced by Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg, through his company Amblin Entertainment, issued a statement posted to Twitter Monday.