Erik Lomis, the admired distribution executive who handled numerous blockbusters and Oscar winners during his three-decade career in Hollywood, died suddenly Wednesday at his home in Santa Monica. He was 64.
As MGM’s head of distribution, Lomis was in the midst of helping parent company Amazon Studios prepare for the release of Ben Affleck’s Air, which opens in theaters April 5. Amazon recently signed Lomis — a champion of the big-screen experience — to a new deal after officially acquiring the storied film studio.
“Erik was truly one of a kind and an icon in our industry. His passion was undeniable, and he has meant so much to so many over the years,” Amazon’s Mike Hopkins, Jennifer Salke and Chris Brearton said in a note to staff. “We are all better for having known him.”
Lomis watched over the box office like a hawk and was renowned for his detailed notes analyzing the theatrical lineup every weekend.
The Philadelphia native worked at MGM from 1993-2011, leaving as president of worldwide distribution after strategizing on such films as Legally Blonde (2001), Barbershop (2002) and the James Bond films GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002).
He joined The Weinstein Co. and served through 2016 as president of worldwide theatrical distribution, home entertainment and acquisitions, shepherding such releases as The Artist (2011), The Iron Lady (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Django Unchained (2012), The Imitation Game (2014) and The Hateful Eight (2015).
Lomis launched a distribution division and in-theater marketing department at Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures in 2016 (he handled the 2018 films Vice and If Beale Street Could Talk there) before segueing in 2019 to United Artists Releasing, the joint venture of MGM and Annapurna that rolled out No Time to Die (2021) during the immense challenges of COVID-19. Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have long been avid fans of Lomis, and relied more than ever on his guidance when releasing No Time to Die, which saw its release delayed several times because of the COVID-19 crisis.
MGM absorbed UAR after the Amazon purchase, and Lomis recently spearheaded the releases of the best picture Oscar nominee Women Talking and Creed III, which has has done blockbuster business at the box office.
Through the years, he fostered long-standing relationships with such filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler and Ryan Coogler.
He also helped reinvigorate the latest iteration of MGM. “I am heartbroken by the loss of Erik. He was a champion of cinema and truly a loyal friend to all,” Warner Bros. Pictures co-chair and former MGM co-chief Pamela Abdy said in a statement late Wednesday. “I feel lucky to have worked with him during my time at MGM. He is a legend, and his impact on our community will be remembered forever.”
Born on Nov. 21, 1958, Lomis began his career in film during his teenage years when he worked after school as a movie usher. He served as the head film buyer for the Philadelphia-based Sameric Theatres and was there when the original Star Wars was coming to the big screen in 1977.
“In the months before it opened, a lot of the older guys thought of Star Wars as a kiddie movie,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2015. “The cast meant nothing, and no one knew who George Lucas was. [At Sameric], we thought we got hosed because the competition got the big ‘A track’ picture, The Other Side of Midnight.”
He then headed the national film department at United Artists Theatres, the nation’s largest exhibition chain.
“Like just about everyone else who knew him, at AMC we were both shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden passing this morning of Erik Lomis. He was a giant in the field of theatrical exhibition. More than that, he was a really good human being. I truly enjoyed each and every minute I was with him, and will never forget his big-hearted smile. We send our most sincere condolences to his family and his professional colleagues at MGM, UA Releasing and Amazon. Erik, you will be widely mourned and you will be greatly missed,” AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron said in a statement.
On a personal note, Lomis — as a big Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles fan — made sure to attend the Super Bowl last month in Arizona, even though his team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Laucella, president of business and legal affairs at Lionsgate; his children, Natalia, Nicole Rose and Zach; his stepmother, Joanne; his sister, Sandy; and his brother, Charles.
March 22, 7:45 p.m.: Updated with statements from Amazon and Pamela Abdy.
