Sam Mercer, a long-time Hollywood producer who had his hand in a number of ‘80s classics before a tenure at Walt Disney Studios and heading Industrial Light & Magic has passed away at 69.
What’s Happening:
- Sam Mercer, a producer who helped bring us some of the Disney Classics of the 80s and later headed Industrial Light & Magic at Lucasfilm, has passed away at the age of 69.
- His wife, Tegan Jones, told Deadline that Mercer died February 12 of younger-onset Alzheimer’s.
- After working as location manager on a number of ‘80s classics, including Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Stripes, and National Lampoon’s Vacation, Mercer came to Disney serving as a production executive at the Walt Disney Studios.
- While there, he supervised movies including Good Morning Vietnam and Dead Poets Society, both of which earned Robin Williams a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
- From there, he was promoted to VP Motion Picture Production at Disney-Owned Hollywood Pictures, where he oversaw films like Quiz Show, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Others he oversaw include The Joy Luck Club, Born Yesterday, Swing Kids, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Arachnophobia.
- After leaving Disney, Mercer focused on independent producing, working frequently with M. Night Shyamalan. He later returned to the Walt Disney Company in some form though, when in 2015, Mercer was named head of Disney/Lucasfilm’s VFX giant Industrial Light & Magic.
- There, he was responsible for the oversight of the studios’ four locations in San Francisco, Vancouver, London and Singapore. Back when he was hired, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy reportedly said, “Sam has that rare ability to head off potential issues before they become real problems, and he manages to do it while maintaining an even keel and level of professionalism that has earned him the respect and admiration of every crew he works with.”
- Mercer is survived by his wife, his son Miles and daughter Sierra. Reports indicate that a memorial service will be held in the fall.
- In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests that donations be made to Lorenzo’s House, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting families around the world impacted by younger-onset dementia.