James Hatcher

We were shocked and saddened at the tragic and untimely death of James Hatcher. James was a lovely person and an excellent producer at APA member companies. Loved and respected, he was part of our community. 

These tributes are from some members of that community who knew him best.

JOSIE JUNEAU– RSA Films
The world feels a lot darker without James in it. He truly was one of the good ones. 100% genuine, honest, funny and kind. 

He was a devoted husband and a wonderful father to his 4 children. His work ethic put us all to shame. And he’d do it with such charm, wit and that little bit of cheekiness that I will miss forever. I would catch his eye across the room at an event and feel a surge of a happiness to know he was there – I feel a bit lost going forward. 

It was an honour to call him a friend. I’m not sure this will ever fully feel real, there’s a heaviness in that I can’t quite shake. But for those of us lucky enough to have known and loved Hatch – keep telling the stories and memories you made with him because my god there were some good ones!

PAVLA BURGETOVA CALLEGARI – COMPASS ROSE
James was a rock for all of us, across the Compass Rose team, our companies around the world, and our clients. No matter the scale or complexity of a project, you just knew it was in the safest possible hands with him. His professionalism, instinct and sheer producing intelligence meant he always found a way through – he was a brilliant, smart and deeply creative problem solver. He was genuinely loved by so many of us.

Above all, James was a friend, someone you just looked forward to seeing, working with, and simply being around. His dry, understated sense of humour was unmistakably James. And at the centre of everything, he was a devoted father to his four children and an incredible husband to his wife, Cornelia.

There is a sudden void that is hard for the brain to process. Myself and the whole team will miss James terribly. That mix of strength, humour and care is hard to find.

Our thoughts are with James’s family.

JOHNNIE FRANKEL
Since hearing the devastating news about James last week, I’ve spent many hours on the phone with his friends and colleagues, sharing memories of what an extraordinary person he was and how much he meant to so many. The love and sadness that have been expressed are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

James and I spent so much time together—first as colleagues, but very quickly as best friends. He was loyal, dependable, funny, and very clever.

There are no words to fully express how sorry I am. James was truly remarkable—a light in my life and in the lives of so many others. He was adored by everyone fortunate enough to have known him, and he leaves a huge hole in all our hearts.

My heart also goes out to his wife, Cornelia and all his family, who he loved so deeply and spoke of so often. They were everything to him, and this loss is truly unimaginable.

STEPHEN GASH – UNLTD PRODUCTIONS
James joined us at Stark Films as a Runner.  From ‘the off’ there was a twinkle in his eye, an easy humour and a ludicrous degree of diligence that set him apart from everyone else who had trod the same path.  Watching him develop and mature into one of the very best in the business was a privilege.  And being able to call James my friend was an honour.  In all of the years we worked together I never saw James lose his temper or raise his voice.  Not once.  Even the biggest problems were met by that twinkle, a smile and a shrug of the shoulders. ‘Well we’d better get on with it then’ he’d say.  And – being the consummate professional that he was – on with it he’d get.  Jim was relentlessly hard working, utterly loyal and one of the most decent human beings I have ever met.  Losing him is a tragedy beyond words.  

LEWIS MORE O’FERRALL
James was one of those guys you picked first to be on your team. Quiet but steely, undemonstrative yet sure-footed, he was one of those crew members you felt you just couldn’t do without once you’d witnessed his silky skills bring producers the sort of certainty they crave. Utterly dependable, he was as good at forensically prepping a job of any nature as he was wrapping it up speedily and efficiently. Ne’er a penny nor a word out of place. His foresight was extraordinary; he had that facility for almost invariably thinking of it and doing it before being asked. With such a sweet temperament, James never failed to exude the sort of calm that set the mood on set for everyone else and his value to the productions he was a part of was unfailingly greater than was ever asked of him. Any conversation with him inevitably turned quickly to his family and the joy in his face at times like those told you much about the other side of his beautiful self. Taken far, far too early, he’ll be much missed by many.

For those of you who knew James and wish to join a celebration of his life-

We will be coming together to remember our dear friend and colleague, James Hatcher, who passed away far too soon.

Tuesday, May 5th
From 5:00pm until closing
The Blue Posts, 22 Berwick Street, W1F 0QA 

If you would like to honour James and spend some time with us celebrating his life, please do join.

Pavla, Josie, Johnnie