---
name: "Sam Mercer"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sam-mercer"
fi1m_id: "sam-mercer"
imdb_id: "nm0580303"
tmdb_id: 136
wikidata_id: "Q369195"
roles: ["Producer"]
born: "15 January 1955"
died: "12 February 2024"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 63
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 12
updated: "2026-10-05T03:33:43.207190+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sam Mercer

## Identity

Sam Mercer

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sam-mercer
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** sam-mercer
- **IMDb ID:** nm0580303
- **TMDB ID:** 136
- **Wikidata ID:** Q369195
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Mercer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q369195, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580303/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/136

Producer. Born 15 January 1955 in USA. Died 12 February 2024.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer
- **Born:** 15 January 1955, USA
- **Died:** 12 February 2024
- **Active:** 1983–2016
- **Frequently works with:** [M. Night Shyamalan](https://film.one/person/m-night-shyamalan.md), [Frank Marshall](https://film.one/person/frank-marshall.md), [Joaquin Phoenix](https://film.one/person/joaquin-phoenix.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 63, as producer, over 12 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 74 (3), 1990s 84 (1), 2000s 62 (5), 2010s 47 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 62 to 55 across 11 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 4 under 60
- **Genres:** Adventure 5, Drama 5, Fantasy 5, Thriller 5, Mystery 4, Comedy 3
- **Screen time:** 22 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $2,938m across 12 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Mercer, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q369195, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0580303/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/136

## Streaming the US now

- **Peacock:** [*Signs*](https://film.one/film/signs.md) (76)
- **Disney+:** [*The BFG*](https://film.one/film/the-bfg.md) (64)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*The Village*](https://film.one/film/the-village.md) (63)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Last Airbender*](https://film.one/film/the-last-airbender.md) (24)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Sam Mercer (1955–2024) was an American film producer. He began his career in the early 1980s as a location manager on films including *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987) and *Peggy Sue Got Married* (1986), later working as a production executive at Walt Disney Pictures.

Mercer is best known for his collaboration with M. Night Shyamalan, serving as producer or executive producer on *The Sixth Sense* (1999), *Unbreakable* (2000), *Signs* (2002), *The Village* (2004), *Lady in the Water* (2006), *The Happening* (2008) and *The Last Airbender* (2010). Other credits include *Congo* (1995), *Jarhead* (2005), *Snow White and the Huntsman* (2012) and *The BFG* (2016). In 2015 he became head of Industrial Light & Magic.

He died on 12 February 2024.

*Sources: hollywoodreporter.com, variety.com, deadline.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (12)

- *The BFG* (2016), Fi1m 64, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bfg.md)
- *Snow White and the Huntsman* (2012), Fi1m 52, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman.md)
- *The Last Airbender* (2010), Fi1m 24, Unit Production Manager, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-airbender.md)
- *The Happening* (2008), Fi1m 38, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-happening.md)
- *The Village* (2004), Fi1m 63, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-village.md)
- *Signs* (2002), Fi1m 76, Unit Production Manager, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/signs.md)
- *Mission to Mars* (2000), Fi1m 50, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/mission-to-mars.md)
- *Unbreakable* (2000), Fi1m 81, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/unbreakable.md)
- *The Sixth Sense* (1999), Fi1m 84, Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sixth-sense.md)
- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987), Fi1m 73, Location Manager — [page](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick.md)
- *Peggy Sue Got Married* (1986), Fi1m 79, Location Manager — [page](https://film.one/film/peggy-sue-got-married.md)
- *National Lampoon's Vacation* (1983), Fi1m 70, Location Manager — [page](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-vacation.md)

## Complete filmography (24)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The BFG* (2016), Producer — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bfg.md)
- *Heaven Is for Real* (2014), Executive Producer
- *Snow White and the Huntsman* (2012), Producer — Fi1m 52, [page](https://film.one/film/snow-white-and-the-huntsman.md)
- *Devil* (2010), Producer
- *The Last Airbender* (2010), Producer, Unit Production Manager — Fi1m 24, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-airbender.md)
- *The Happening* (2008), Producer — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/the-happening.md)
- *Things We Lost in the Fire* (2007), Producer
- *Reflections of Lady in the Water* (2006), Actor
- *Lady in the Water* (2006), Producer
- *Jarhead* (2005), Executive Producer
- *The Village* (2004), Producer — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-village.md)
- *Van Helsing* (2004), Executive Producer
- *Making 'Signs'* (2003), Thanks
- *Signs* (2002), Producer, Unit Production Manager — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/signs.md)
- *Unbreakable* (2000), Producer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/unbreakable.md)
- *Mission to Mars* (2000), Executive Producer — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/mission-to-mars.md)
- *The Sixth Sense* (1999), Executive Producer, Unit Production Manager — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sixth-sense.md)
- *The Relic* (1997), Producer
- *Congo* (1995), Producer
- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1987), Location Manager — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/the-witches-of-eastwick.md)
- *Peggy Sue Got Married* (1986), Location Manager — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/peggy-sue-got-married.md)
- *Pee-wee's Big Adventure* (1985), Location Manager
- *National Lampoon's Vacation* (1983), Location Manager — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-vacation.md)
- *The Escape Artist* (1982), Location Manager

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/sam-mercer