Sad news to report today has Variety has confirmed that David Brenner, an Oscar-winning editor who worked on Independence Day, Justice League, Born on the Fourth of July, and much more, has died at the age of 59.
David Brenner was in the midst of post-production on James Cameron’s Avatar 2 and was also slated to edit Avatar 3 as well. Avatar producer Jon Landau created a GoFundMe to assist David’s wife Amber and his children Annie, Haider, and Sasha. “He was an extraordinary editor and a loving, compassionate family man,” Landau said in a statement. “In an effort to support David’s family during this terrible time, Lightstorm Entertainment has created this GoFundMe account. More important than any financial assistance this may provide, it’s an opportunity to let his wife Amber and his children Annie, Haider, and Sasha know how many other lives David touched.“
David Brenner won the Academy Award for Film Editing along with John Hutshing in 1990 for Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July. Brenner worked on a lot of Stone’s movies, including Salvador, Talk Radio, Platoon, Wall Street, The Doors, Heaven & Earth, World Trade Center, and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Brenner also collaborated with Roland Emmerich on Independence Day, The Patriot, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, and with Zack Snyder on Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as well as both versions of Justice League. In a statement, Zack Snyder said that he was “devastated at the loss of my dear friend and collaborator David Brenner. He was a gifted artist and one of the kindest people I have ever known. He will be deeply missed. My heartfelt condolences go to Amber and his children during this difficult time.” Over the course of his almost 40-year career, Brenner also edited What Dreams May Come, Kate & Leopold, Identity, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Wanted, Transformers: Age of Extinction, and 300: Rise of an Empire. You will be missed, Mr. Brenner.
