Simon Wells

{{Infobox person

| name = Simon Wells

| image = File:Simon Wells in 1987.jpg

| caption = Wells on the set of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1987

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1961|10|19}}

| birth_place = Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

| occupation = {{Hlist|Film director|animator}}

| children = 2

| relatives = {{plainlist|

H. G. Wells (great-grandfather)

}}

| spouse = {{Marriage|Wendy Wells|1988}}

| years_active = 1988–present

| employer = {{Plainlist|

Amblimation (1989–1995)
DreamWorks Animation (1995–present)

}}

Simon Finlay Wells (born 1961) is an English film director of animation and live-action films. He is the great-grandson of author H. G. Wells,{{Cite web |date=2022-05-10 |title=20 years ago, H.G. Wells' great-grandson reimagined a time travel classic |url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/time-machine-2002-simon-wells-interview |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=Inverse |language=en}} and is best known for directing An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991), Balto (1995), and The Prince of Egypt (1998).{{Cite web |last=Sciences |first=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and |title='The Prince of Egypt' Directors Look Back on Their Animated Landmark 25 Years Later (Exclusive) |url=https://aframe.oscars.org/news/post/the-prince-of-egypt-25-year-anniversary-interview |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=A.frame |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Watch: DreamWorks Celebrates 'The Prince of Egypt' 25th Anniversary with Video Reminiscences|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2023/12/watch-dreamworks-celebrates-the-prince-of-egypt-25th-anniversary-with-video-reminiscences/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=www.animationmagazine.net|date=18 December 2023 }}

Early life and education

Born in Cambridge, he attended The Perse School and De Montfort University where he studied audio-visual design. Upon graduating he found a job at Richard Williams's studio where he animated commercials and other projects. Wells later supervised the animation on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.{{fact|date=May 2024}}

Career

Wells began his film career by joining Richard Williams Animation, where he served as a supervising animator on Who Framed Roger Rabbit. After the closing of Richard Williams Animation, Wells became a member of Amblimation, a studio owned by Steven Spielberg, where he served as director on their only three films: An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story and Balto. Wells was set to direct a sequel to Casper, but the project was cancelled.

After the closing of Amblimation, Wells joined DreamWorks where he worked as storyboard artist on many animated projects, and also directed The Prince of Egypt which was nominated for an Annie Award.

In 2002, Wells directed his first live-action film, a film adaptation of his great-grandfather's book The Time Machine.

Wells went back to DreamWorks Animation, where he continued as a story artist for films such as Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), Shrek 2 (2004), Madagascar (2005) and Flushed Away (2006).{{cite web|last1=Wells|first1=Simon|title=Mars Needs Moms, but Earth needs Director Simon Wells!|url=http://animatedviews.com/2011/earth-needs-simon-wells/|website=animatedviews.com|publisher=Josh Armstrong|access-date=11 March 2018}}

In 2011 he co-wrote and directed Mars Needs Moms using motion-capture technology during the filming.{{Cite web |last=Crislip |first=Anthony |date=2023-06-18 |title=How Disney's Mars Needs Moms Became 2011's Biggest Box Office Flop |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1315545/why-disneys-mars-needs-moms-2011s-biggest-box-office-flop/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=SlashFilm |language=en-US}}