Sam Mercer, known for producing The Sixth Sense, died on February 12, confirmed his wife Tegan Jones. Speaking to Deadline, his wife revealed that Mercer was battling early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at the time of his death. He was 69. M. Night Shyamalan, who worked with Mercer, condoled his death and shared his experience working with him. Mercer has produced seven films of Shyamalan.

M. Night Shyamalan pays tribute to Sam Mercer

M. Night Shyamalan shared a statement after the news of Mercer's death was confirmed. “He was the best big brother I could have hoped for. He made every movie a family, and I’ve tried to emulate that in every film since," Shyamalan said in a statement.

The director added that he and Mercer started working together when Shyamalan was in his mid-20s. He showed him how to navigate pressure with grace.  "I’ll never forget his perfectly neat desk, his gentle eyes and his magical ability to convey that everything was going to be OK. When he was around, that was always true," Shyamalan added.

Who was Sam Mercer?

He began his career in the 1980s by working as a location manager for movies like Stripes (1981), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) and The Witches of Eastwick (1987). He then went on to produce Shyamalan's films such as Signs (2002), The Village (2004) and Lady in the Water (2006). In 2015, he was named head of Disney/Lucasfilm’s VFX giant Industrial Light & Magic, overseeing its four locations - San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver and London.

Mercer is survived by his wife Tegan Jones, son Miles and daughter Sierra. A memorial service will be held in the fall, and the family has requested that donations be made to Lorenzo’s House.