Hollywood icon who worked on Spider-Man and Lion King dies as wife breaks news

R. J. Kizer, the Hollywood director, sound editor and ADR specialist known for work on films such as The Lion King, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, has died at 73. His wife, Joanne D’Antonio, announced the death in a Facebook post on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, saying he had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive, rapidly spreading brain tumour. D’Antonio described him as her “best friend” for 47 years and shared a photo from the Deadpool premiere. Kizer’s career included sound work on Deadpool, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, and contributions to Christopher Nolan titles including Interstellar. He also earned 10 Golden Reel Award nominations.