Stephen Sommers Wiki Biography
Stephen Sommers is an American screenwriter and film director, best known for The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns. He also directed Disney’s live action version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, the action/horror film Van Helsing, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
| Full Name | Stephen Sommers |
| Net Worth | $20 Million |
| Date Of Birth | March 20, 1962 |
| Place Of Birth | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Profession | Screenwriter, Film director, Film Producer, Television producer, Television Director, Actor |
| Education | College of Saint Benedict (1980) |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Spouse | Jana Sommers (m. 1993) |
| Children | Ashley Sommers, Samantha Sommers |
| Nicknames | Steven Sommers , Steve Sommers , Stephen Mummy Sommers |
| IMDB | http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0814085 |
| Movies | The Mummy, Van Helsing, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Mummy Returns, Odd Thomas, Deep Rising, The Jungle Book, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Scorpion King, Catch Me If You Can, Tom and Huck, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior, Oliver Twist, Stone, Whe… |
| TV Shows | The Mummy: The Animated Series |
| Trademark | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Frequently casts Kevin J. O’Connor, Arnold Vosloo and Jason Flemyng in his films. |
| 2 | His movies contain non-stop action |
| 3 | His films rely very heavily on CGI special effects |
| 4 | His films often have no opening credits (e.g. The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001), Van Helsing (2004), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)). |
| 5 | His movies are based on classics |
| Quote | |
|---|---|
| 1 | [on why he will not be a screenwriter for “Magic Kingdom for Sale”] I usually write everything I direct, and I’m tired of working seven days a week. It’ll be fun to turn to Lowell and Babaloo and go, ‘You figure it out.’ |
| 2 | Don’t let them tell you less is more. More is more. |
| 3 | [He has just demonstrated (badly) what emotion he wants in a chase scene, then looks at the camera] You see that? That was me acting. That’s why I stay back here. |
| Fact | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Currently lives in Pacific Palisades, California. |
| 2 | Went to film school and frequently works with editor/writer Bob Ducsay. |
| 3 | Attended the USC School in Cinema-Television for three years, receiving his Master’s degree. |
| 4 | Attended St. John’s University and the University of Seville in Spain. |
| 5 | Has two daughters with his wife Jana Sommers: Samantha Sommers (born 1996) and Ashley Sommers (born 1999). |
| 6 | Industrial Light and Magic jokingly created the “Stephen Sommers Scale” to measure the extent of digital effects used in a given movie scene. The four parts of the scale, from lowest to highest, are “What the Shot Needs”, “What the Computers Can Handle”, “Oh my God, the Computers Are About to Crash”, and finally “What Stephen Wants”. |
| 7 | Attended and graduated from Apollo High School in St. Cloud, Minnesota. |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| When Worlds Collide | announced | ||
| Odd Thomas | 2013 | screenplay by | |
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | 2009 | story | |
| The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior | 2008 | Video character | |
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 2008 | 2001 screenplay, uncredited | |
| Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride | 2004 | Short | |
| Van Helsing | 2004 | written by | |
| The Scorpion King | 2002 | character – uncredited / screenplay / story | |
| The Mummy Returns | 2001 | written by | |
| The Mummy | 1999 | screen story / screenplay | |
| Deep Rising | 1998 | written by | |
| The Wonderful World of Disney | 1997 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Tom and Huck | 1995 | screenplay | |
| The Jungle Book | 1994 | screenplay | |
| Gunmen | 1993 | written by | |
| The Adventures of Huck Finn | 1993 | screenplay | |
| Catch Me If You Can | 1989 | written by |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| When Worlds Collide | producer announced | ||
| The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power | 2015 | Video executive producer | |
| Odd Thomas | 2013 | producer | |
| G.I. Joe: Retaliation | 2013 | executive producer | |
| The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption | 2012 | Video executive producer | |
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | 2009 | executive producer | |
| The Scorpion King: Rise of a Warrior | 2008 | Video producer – uncredited | |
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 2008 | producer | |
| Van Helsing | 2004 | producer | |
| Van Helsing: The London Assignment | 2004 | Video short executive producer | |
| The Scorpion King | 2002 | producer | |
| The Wonderful World of Disney | 1997 | TV Series co-executive producer – 1 episode | |
| Tom and Huck | 1995 | executive producer |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| When Worlds Collide | announced | ||
| Odd Thomas | 2013 | ||
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | 2009 | ||
| Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride | 2004 | Short | |
| Van Helsing | 2004 | ||
| The Mummy Returns | 2001 | ||
| The Mummy | 1999 | ||
| Deep Rising | 1998 | ||
| The Jungle Book | 1994 | ||
| The Adventures of Huck Finn | 1993 | ||
| Catch Me If You Can | 1989 |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Mummy Returns | 2001 | Man in Bathtub at Izzy’s Place (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | 2009 | executive soundtrack album producer |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running Away | 2000 | Short industry mentor |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Nina Foch Course for Filmmakers and Actors | 2010 | Video documentary special thanks | |
| The Making of ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ | 2008 | Video short special thanks | |
| Van Helsing | 2004 | Video Game very special thanks | |
| Spotlight on Location: The Mummy Returns | 2001 | Video documentary short special thanks | |
| Building a Better Mummy | 1999 | Video documentary special thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face Off | 2014 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Movie Loft | 2009 | TV Series | Himself |
| Next-Gen Action: The Amazing Visual FX and Design of G.I. Joe | 2009 | Video documentary short | Himself – Director |
| The Big Bang Theory: The Making of ‘G.I. Joe’ | 2009 | Video short | Himself |
| The Making of ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ | 2008 | Video short | Himself |
| HBO First Look | 2008 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Bloodsucking Cinema | 2007 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Sci-Fi Boys | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
| Shootout | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
| Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride | 2004 | Short | Himself |
| The World of Van Helsing | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Van Helsing: The Man and the Monsters | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Van Helsing: Behind the Screams | 2004 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Spotlight on Location: The Mummy Returns | 2001 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Building a Better Mummy | 1999 | Video documentary | Himself (as Steven Sommers) |
| Movie Magic | 1997 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Making of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ | 1994 | TV Movie documentary | Himself – Director / Screenwriter |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Eyegore Award | Eyegore Awards |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Razzie Award | Razzie Awards | Worst Director | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) |
| 2000 | Saturn Award | Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA | Best Director | The Mummy (1999) |
| 2000 | Saturn Award | Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA | Best Writer | The Mummy (1999) |