Film star Alan Rickman has died aged 69 after a battle with cancer, his family have confirmed.

The actor was much loved, known for playing Hans Gruber in Die Hard and gaining the attention of a younger audience for his role as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter series.

A number of the films he stars in have yet to be released, including Eye in the Sky and Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel to 2010’s Alice in Wonderland.

Beth Galey 

Image: Mark Blinch/Reuters/Corbis