'Halloween' writer dies of cancer

Debra Hill, who co-wrote the horror classic Halloween and rose through Hollywood's ranks to become a pioneering woman producer, has died aged 54.

Hill had battled cancer for 13 months, but continued working on several projects, including a film about the September 11 terrorist attacks, until her last days, friends said.

Hill's big break came when she and director John Carpenter co-wrote Halloween. The 1979 film, directed by Carpenter and produced by Hill, starred a 20-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis as a babysitter terrorised by a psychopath.

Carpenter said working with Hill was "one of the greatest experiences of my life".