Adam Somner
British and American assistant director and film producer (1967–2024)
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Adam Somner (1967 – November 27, 2024) was a British and American assistant director and film producer, known for working with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Ridley Scott. Somner spent most of his career as an assistant director, but was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing the films Licorice Pizza (2021) and One Battle After Another (2025), the latter being awarded posthumously.
Adam Somner | |
|---|---|
Somner in 2011 | |
| Born | 1967 London, England |
| Died | (aged 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Assistant director, film producer |
| Notable work | Licorice Pizza |
Early life
Career
He produced Anderson's Licorice Pizza (2021), which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, a BAFTA Award for Best Film, Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. One Battle After Another (2025) was his final work and is dedicated in his memory.
Death
Somner died from anaplastic thyroid cancer in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, on November 27, 2024, at the age of 57.[3][4][5][6]
Filmography
| Year | Title | First AD | Producer | Director | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Johnny English | Yes | No | Peter Howitt | ||
| Seabiscuit | Yes | No | Gary Ross | [7] | ||
| 2005 | Kingdom of Heaven | Yes | No | Ridley Scott | [5] | |
| War of the Worlds | Yes | No | Steven Spielberg | [3] | ||
| Munich | Yes | No | [5] | |||
| 2007 | There Will Be Blood | Yes | No | Paul Thomas Anderson | [5] | |
| Lions for Lambs | Yes | No | Robert Redford | [5] | ||
| 2008 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Yes | No | Steven Spielberg | [8] | |
| 2010 | Unstoppable | Yes | Co-producer | Tony Scott | [9] | |
| 2011 | Rango | Yes | No | Gore Verbinski | [10] | |
| The Adventures of Tintin | Yes | Associate producer | Steven Spielberg | [8] | ||
| War Horse | Yes | Co-producer | [5] | |||
| 2012 | The Master | Yes | Executive | Paul Thomas Anderson | [5] | |
| Lincoln | Yes | Co-producer | Steven Spielberg | [5] | ||
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Yes | Co-producer | Martin Scorsese | [3] | |
| 2014 | Birdman | Yes | No | Alejandro González Iñárritu | [5] | |
| Inherent Vice | Yes | Executive | Paul Thomas Anderson | [5] | ||
| Exodus: Gods and Kings | No | Co-producer | Ridley Scott | [4] | ||
| 2015 | Bridge of Spies | Yes | Executive | Steven Spielberg | [4] | |
| The Revenant | Yes | No | Alejandro González Iñárritu | [3] | ||
| 2016 | The BFG | Yes | Co-producer | Steven Spielberg | [11] | |
| 2017 | First They Killed My Father | Yes | Executive | Angelina Jolie | [12] | |
| Phantom Thread | Yes | Executive | Paul Thomas Anderson | [3] | ||
| The Post | Yes | Executive | Steven Spielberg | [13] | ||
| All the Money in the World | Yes | No | Ridley Scott | [4] | ||
| 2018 | Ready Player One | Yes | Executive | Steven Spielberg | [4] | |
| 2019 | Ford v Ferrari | Yes | Co-producer | James Mangold | [5] | |
| 2021 | Licorice Pizza | Yes | Yes | Paul Thomas Anderson | [14] | |
| West Side Story | Yes | Executive | Steven Spielberg | [15] | ||
| 2023 | Killers of the Flower Moon | Yes | Executive | Martin Scorsese | [3] | |
| The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar | Yes | No | Wes Anderson | Short film | ||
| 2024 | Blitz | Yes | Yes | Steve McQueen | [16] | |
| 2025 | One Battle After Another | Yes | Yes | Paul Thomas Anderson | Posthumous release | [17] |
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA International Awards | 2022 | Best Film | Licorice Pizza | Nominated | [18] |
| Academy Awards | 2022 | Best Picture | Licorice Pizza | Nominated | [19] |
| 2026 | One Battle After Another | Pending | |||
| Astra Creative Arts Awards | 2025 | Best Second Unit Director | One Battle After Another | Won | [20] |
| British Academy Film Awards | 2022 | Best Film | Licorice Pizza | Nominated | [21] |
| 2026 | One Battle After Another | Won | |||
| Christopher Award | 2012 | Best Feature Film | War Horse | Won | |
| 2013 | Lincoln | Won | |||
| Gotham Awards | 2025 | Best Feature | One Battle After Another | Won | [22] |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | 2022 | Best Theatrical Motion Picture | Licorice Pizza | Nominated | [23] |
| 2026 | One Battle After Another | Won |
