Nicholas Simon

{{short description|Hungarian-American film producer based in Bangkok}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Nicholas Simon

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|03|21}}

| birth_place = Rockford, Illinois, U.S.

| occupation = Film producer

| years_active = 1995 - present

| known_for =

| spouse = {{ Unbulleted list

|{{marriage|Shawn Simon|2005|2022|end=div}}

}}

| children = 1

}}

Nicholas Andrew Simon, (born 21 March 1969) known professionally as Nicholas Simon, is a Hungarian-American film producer born in Rockford, Illinois, now currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand.{{cite web |url= https://www.thailandtatler.com/people/nicholas-simon#:~:text=Nicholas%20Simon%20is%20the%20founder,moving%20to%20Bangkok%20in%202009.|title= Nicholas Simon|author= |date= |website= Thailand Tatler|access-date=2021-03-30}} He has been producing feature films, TV series, and commercials in Southeast Asia for two and a half decades. For his work on City of Ghosts, A Prayer Before Dawn, Kong: Skull Island, Avengers: Infinity War, Simon has gained the title of “Hollywood’s man in Southeast Asia.”{{cite news |last= Brzeski|first= Patrick|date= 18 May 2015|title= Cannes: IndoChina Head Talks 'A Prayer Before Dawn' and Shooting in Southeast Asia|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-indochina-head-talks-a-prayer-before-dawn-shooting-southeast-asia-1004989|work= The Hollywood Reporter|location= |access-date= 2021-03-30}}

Simon is known for being the founder and managing partner of two production companies, Indochina Productions and Studio Muso.

Early life and education

An American-Hungarian dual national, Simon was born in Rockford, Illinois, and lived on a farm before moving with his family to Beloit, Wisconsin, at the age of three. He attended high school at Phillips Academy, graduating in 1987, before obtaining a B.A. at Columbia University in 1992, specializing in Asia.{{cite news |last= Fox|first= Peter|date= Spring 2021|title= A Time Like No Other: Nicholas Simon’s Indochina Productions Quietly Yet Boldly Leads The Industry Through Its Most Challenging Period|url= https://issuu.com/venumagazine/docs/venu_44?ff&fbclid=IwAR1FW3hslGf2BI5iJJjHDCjNbfW8JY8O6Y2aOvxhcq5J_xz2KG9TNXPZdXA|work= Venü Magazine|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}{{cite web |url= https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-simon-b40b3713/ |title= Nicholas Simon|author= |date= |website= LinkedIn|access-date= 2021-03-30}}

Simon was also an active cycler, participating in the 1985 USCF Junior National Championships, the Phillips Academy Varsity Team from 1986 to 1987, and the Columbia University Team from 1991 to 1993.{{cite news |last= Leddin|first= Adam|date= 2012|title= VIGO CYCLES CX 002|url= https://www.thespoken.cc/vigo-cycles-cx-002|work= The Spoken|location= |access-date= 2021-04-27}}

In 2020, he acquired the certificate of completion for Stanford University's “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” program.

Career

Simon arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, via New York City in 1993 with the intent of becoming a journalist. However, he quickly realized he didn't enjoy writing and sought out other jobs. Simon eventually met the producers of Trần Anh Hùng’s Cyclo and helped out on the film in an informal capacity. In the following year, he founded Sud-Est Productions, a production company based in Vietnam. During his time, he serviced production for and co-produced numerous films, the most notable being Matt Dillon’s City of Ghosts. He sold Sud-Est Productions in 2003, and it is now a fully Vietnamese company.

While working as an independent industry consultant, Simon moved to Bangkok with his wife and daughter in 2009. In 2010, he founded Indochina Productions, which provides production services for projects in Southeast Asia. The company initially provided support for Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, but now provides production services in 14 territories throughout Asia.{{cite web |url= https://www.indochinaproductions.com/|title= Home|author= |date= |website= Indochina Productions|access-date= 2021-03-30}} It has since been dubbed by the NYFA as “the only company in Southeast Asia to produce and service big-budget Hollywood studio films and Fortune 500 advertising commercial needs.”{{cite web |url= https://www.nyfa.edu/nyfa-news/nyfa-welcomes-ceo-of-indochina-productions-and-producer-nicholas-simon.php#.YGMZ1K8zZyy |title= NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY (NYFA) WELCOMES CEO OF INDOCHINA PRODUCTIONS AND PRODUCER NICHOLAS SIMON FOR LIZ HINLEIN’S ‘THE 20/20 SERIES’|author= |date= 6 July 2020|website= NYFA|access-date= 2021-03-30}}

Simon has been the line producer for Indochina Productions on several major feature films, such as Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods and Sam Hargrave’s Extraction, and the executive producer for Indochina Productions on Hong Khaou’s Monsoon and Daniel Roby’s Target Number One.{{cite web |url= https://www.indochinaproductions.com/our-works/|title= Our Work|author= |date= |website= Indochina Productions|access-date= 2021-03-30}} He is also known for his work as a line producer on Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame as well as on Kong: Skull Island.{{cite news |author= Vu Van Viet |date= 4 April 2016|title= Kong: Skull Island: the art of filming to a Vietnamese backdrop|url= https://e.vnexpress.net/news/life/kong-skull-island-the-art-of-filming-to-a-vietnamese-backdrop-3380942.html|work= VN Express|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 27 April 2018|title= PH’s Banaue Rice Terraces featured in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’|url= https://coconuts.co/manila/lifestyle/phs-banaue-rice-terraces-featured-avengers-infinity-war/|work= Coconuts Manila|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}{{cite news |last= Uy|first= Jerald|date= 26 April 2018|title= Spoiler warning: 'Avengers: Infinity War' features a PH tourist spot|url= https://cnnphilippines.com/entertainment/2018/04/26/avengers-infinity-war-banaue-rice-terraces.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180429164348/http://cnnphilippines.com/entertainment/2018/04/26/avengers-infinity-war-banaue-rice-terraces.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= 29 April 2018|work= CNN Philippines|location= |access-date= 2021-03-30}} Upcoming projects include adapting Jon Swain’s River of Time with Lawrence Osborne as the screenplay writer for a feature film,{{cite news |last= Brzeski|first= Patrick|date= 24 June 2020|title= Novelist Lawrence Osborne to Script Film Adaptation of Cult War Memoir 'River of Time'|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/novelist-lawrence-osborne-script-film-adaptation-cult-war-memoir-river-time-1300330?fbclid=IwAR3wJGcuZCFelBD_xv7PWGvjfiechhqGQpui9mu_0yhz-SLGwOq1x690Pzo|work= The Hollywood Reporter|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}} as well as Lawrence Osborne’s own Hunters in the Dark for the big screen.{{cite news |last= Flynn|first= Gerald|date= 8 November 2019|title= Film adaptation of Hunters in the Dark to start shooting in Cambodia next year|url= https://capitalcambodia.com/film-adaptation-of-hunters-in-the-dark-to-start-shooting-in-cambodia-next-year/|work= Capital Cambodia|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}{{cite news |last= Ritman|first= Alex|date= 9 November 2019|title= AFM: Alex Pettyfer to Lead 'Hunters in the Dark' (Exclusive)|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-alex-pettyfer-lead-hunters-dark-1253625|work= The Hollywood Reporter|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}{{cite news |last= Brzeski|first= Patrick|date= 21 February 2020|title= Berlin: Lawrence Osborne Thriller 'Hunters in the Dark' Fills Out Cast (Exclusive)|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-lawrence-osborne-thriller-hunters-dark-fills-cast-1280358|work= The Hollywood Reporter|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}

Simon has been on the board of Luang Prabang Film Festival since 2012 and a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Production Guild UK since 2015.{{cite web |url= https://www.lpfilmfest.org/about-lpff/|title= About|author= |date= |website= Luang Prabang Film Festival|access-date= 2021-03-30}}{{cite web |url= https://www.indochinaproductions.com/the-team-2/|title= The Team|author= |date= |website= Indochina Productions|access-date= 2021-03-30}}

In 2020, Simon also founded another production company, Studio Muso.{{cite web |url= https://studio-muso.com/team/|title= Our Team|author= |date= |website= Studio Muso|access-date= 2021-03-30}}

He has been a jurist and panelist at several industry events since 2003.{{cite web |url= https://film.org/greater-philadelphia-filmmakers/sip-screenwriting-competition/sip-judges/|title= SIP Judges|author= |date= |website= Greater Philadelphia Film Office|access-date= 2021-03-30}}{{cite web |url= https://www.bkkdoc.com/bkkdoc-jury.html|title= BKK DOC International Jury|author= |date= |website= BKK DOC|access-date= 2021-03-30}} He has also written op-eds for the Thai Enquirer.{{cite news |last= Simon|first= Nicholas|date= 3 July 2020|title= Opinion: Destroying Scala is destroying past hopes and future dreams|url= https://www.thaienquirer.com/15180/opinion-destroying-scala-is-destroying-past-hopes-and-future-dreams/?fbclid=IwAR2kNOrHfDJUC8ERhZ_VSSpVlvxATOH9QdAx6W5v7ph8Ao3SA0BbxJekhKA|work= Thai Enquirer|location= |access-date= 2021-03-30}}{{cite news |last= Simon|first= Nicholas|date= 9 December 2020|title= Thailand must take steps to attract foreign film productions or lose them to regional rivals|url= https://www.thaienquirer.com/21453/thailand-must-take-steps-to-attract-foreign-film-productions-or-lose-them-to-regional-rivals/ |work= Thai Enquirer|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"

style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"

! Year

! Film

! Director

! Role

1995

|Cyclo

|Trần Anh Hùng

|Post-Production Producer/Special Thanks

1997

|Distant Skies

|Thierry Chabert

|Line Producer, Vietnam

2000

|The Vertical Ray of the Sun

|Trần Anh Hùng

|Line Producer

2003

|City of Ghosts

|Matt Dillon

|Associate Producer

2003

|Step into Liquid

|Dana Brown

|Line Producer, Vietnam

2003

|What Alice Found

|A. Dean Bell

|Executive Producer (uncredited){{cite web |url= https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1017025/|title= Nicholas Simon|author= |date= |website= IMDb|access-date= 2021-03-30}}

2004

|The Beautiful Country

|Hans Petter Moland

|Line Producer, Vietnam

2005

|Rx

|Ariel Vromen

|Producer

2010

|Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston

|Whitney Sudler-Smith

|Producer

2010

|The Best and the Brightest

|Josh Shelov

|Producer

2011

|Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

|Michael Bay

|Line Producer, Cambodia

2012

|Act of Valor

|Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh

|Line Producer, Cambodia

2015

|Pan

|Joe Wright

|Line Producer, Vietnam VFX Unit

2015

|Kenzhe

|Ermek Tursunov

|Line Producer, Thailand

2015

|Avengers: Age of Ultron

|Joss Whedon/Scott Mahaffie (Second unit)

|Line Producer, Bangladesh

2017

|Lima

|Neill Blomkamp

|Line Producer, Thailand

2017

|Kong: Skull Island

|Jordan Vogt-Roberts

|Line Producer, Vietnam

2017

|A Prayer Before Dawn

|Jean-Stephane Sauvaire

|Producer

2017/ON HOLD{{cite news |last= |first= |date= 13 May 2019|title= Author Mark Bowden Revisits the True Story of ‘Black Hawk Down’|url= https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/05/13/author-mark-bowden-revisits-true-story-black-hawk-down.html|work= Military.com|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}

|Hue 1968

|Michael Mann{{cite news |last= Fleming|first= Mike|date= 6 July 2017|title= FX To Turn Mark Bowden Tet Offensive Chronicle ‘Hue 1968’ Into Limited Series; Michael Mann & Michael De Luca Producing|url= https://deadline.com/2017/07/mark-bowden-hue-1968-fx-tet-offensive-limited-series-michael-mann-michael-de-luca-1202124098/|work= Deadline|location= |access-date=2021-03-30}}

|Co-Producer, Thailand and Vietnam

2018

|Avengers: Infinity War

|Russo brothers

|Line Producer and Aerial Unit, The Philippines

2018

|Les Confins Du Monde

|Guillaume Nicloux

|Co-Producer and Line Producer

2019

|Buoyancy

|Rodd Rathjen