Adam Somner, a revered assistant director and producer for filmmakers together with Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, Alejandro Inarritu and Ridley Scott, died Wednesday of thyroid most cancers in Studio City. He was 57.
Most just lately, Somner served as producer and assistant director on Anderson’s upcoming Warner Bros. movie starring Leonardo Di Caprio. He was a part of the manufacturing group for Anderson’s “Licorice Pizza,” which was nominated for a finest image Oscar.
Born within the U.Okay., Somner obtained his begin helping on movies resembling “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” earlier than shifting into assistant directing. He was third assistant director on Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” and continued working with the director on quite a few movies together with “West Side Story,” “Ready Player One,” “Lincoln,” “Munich” and “War of the Worlds.”
Spielberg remembered Somner in an announcement, saying, “The job title ‘assistant director’ is inadequate to explain what Adam Somner was to me and the contribution he made to my movies — simply as my left arm is extra than simply an assistant to my proper. He labored as AD, and producer and he carried out each of these duties with equal measures of devotion. He beloved making films. He beloved being on the set. It was his gridiron. He was a cheerleader and ball service and at occasions I couldn’t inform if he was following my lead or I used to be following his. He made everybody who joined the crew really feel like they had been a part of the household. He was a uniter and when issues weren’t going based on plan, his English working-class wit and humor, may clean out the issue via his under-the-breath cursing, laughter, and the backup plan he all the time appeared to have standing by. He was an icon in his subject and an inspiration to anybody who desires a profession within the mounting of productions — with the complete recognition that it’s as artistic as it’s organizational. Going again to work with out Adam won’t ever be the identical.”
For Scorsese, Somner served as first assistant director and producer or co-producer on “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Scorsese stated, “Adam Somner was credited as an Assistant Director and a Producer on three of my footage, however his presence meant extra to me and to the movies than any credit may actually even point out. Adam had a really particular and really explicit set of qualities — the organizational talents and the self-discipline of a normal on the battlefield; a singular capacity to work as carefully with me or with any director as two dancers doing a routine or two musicians bouncing off one another; and a rare artistry when it got here to organizing and orchestrating motion within the body. Adam Somner embodied and practiced all of it. I might by no means have been in a position to make ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ or ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ with out him, and we had been in the course of planning one other undertaking. He handed away far too early, and I’ll miss him terribly. He beloved ‘making footage,’ as he put it. He was one of many most interesting collaborators I may ask for, and I do know that my fellow administrators would say the identical.”
In addition to “Licorice Pizza” and the upcoming movie, Somner’s collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson included “Phantom Thread,” “Inherent Vice,” “The Master” and “There Will Be Blood.”
Anderson stated in an announcement, “Adam beloved making movies greater than anybody else ever within the historical past of the film enterprise. It was food and drinks to him. He made everybody who labored with him really feel protected. He noticed every little thing from all sides directly and had a again up plan to the again up plan to the again up plan. He moved mountains and vehicles and folks like he was shifting a salt shaker throughout a desk. It was wonderful to look at him work.
“He knew the best way to make a movie higher than anybody else. His instinct and expertise was second solely to how deeply humorous and loving he was. Most of all and above every little thing, he was beneficiant.
Somner’s movies with Ridley Scott included “Black Hawk Down,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Gladiator” and “G.I. Jane.”
With Alejandro Inarritu, he served as second unit and assistant director on “The Revenant,” and was a part of the DGA-award profitable directing group. He additionally labored on “Birdman.”
He is survived by his spouse Carmen Ruiz de Huidobro, his kids Olivia and Bosco and his brother, Mark Somner.
A DGA scholarship in his title might be established with donation particulars forthcoming.
