Simon West is an English film director.
West started as a film editor with the BBC, then directed documentaries and commercials
including many for Budweiser.
His film directing career started when he directed Con Air in 1997.
Early life and career Born in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, West began
his career in 1981 when he became a film editor with the BBC in London.
During a four-year tenure at the BBC, West was involved with a number of award-winning
productions including the documentary series Strangeways Prison and the drama series Bleak
House both of which won awards from the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
West's career took off in 1985 when he began freelancing as a director and he was awarded
a grant from the Arts Council of Great Britain to write and direct the film entitled Dolly
Mixtures.
He was subsequently signed to Limelight London to direct music videos and commercials.
In 1987 he won Best Video at the Montreux Music Festival for Mel and Kim's Respectable.
He also directed the video for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" in the same year.
With a flourishing commercial career, West relocated to Los Angeles offices of Limelight
in 1991.
Moving to Pilot pictures in 1992, he received a Clio Award for Little Caesar's Airplane
and a Golden Lion Award for Little Caesar's "Italian Feast."
West joined Propaganda Films in 1993 with a roster of credits including McDonalds, Sprite,
AT&T, Ford, Miller Beer and Budweiser.
His most famous commercial was a spot for Pepsi where a little boy sucks himself into
a Pepsi bottle.
The ad ran during the Super Bowl and was USA Today's highest rated commercial for that
year.
1990s to today In 1997, he directed the international blockbuster
Con Air for Jerry Bruckheimer starring Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich and followed that
up in 1999 with The General's Daughter starring John Travolta.
In 2001, he directed Lara Croft : Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie
2001.
West originated the project "Black Hawk Down" after reading Mark Bowden's newspaper articles
on the failed US mission in Somalia.
West pitched the idea to his old collaborator Jerry Bruckheimer and spent 2 years developing
the script with the writer Ken Nolan.
Due to scheduling conflicts with West's other film "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" and a threatened
SAG strike he was not able to direct the movie but served as an executive producer on the
Oscar nominated Black Hawk Down.
In 2003, he was credited as an executive producer for the critically acclaimed Fox show, Keen
Eddie, also serving as director for the pilot and second episode.
In 2005, he directed the pilot for the Jerry Bruckheimer produced CBS show Close to Home.
In 2006, he directed the Screen Gems thriller, When a Stranger Calls.
In 2011, he directed the action-thriller The Mechanic, starring Jason Statham and Ben Foster,
a remake of the 1972 film of the same name.
West is developing the movie titled Protection starring Dwayne Johnson.
It is slated for a 2012 release.
It is scheduled to shoot this fall in New Mexico.
The screenplay is by Brandon Noonan.
Produced by Stuart Ford and Robert Lawrence, along with Gordon Gray and Marc Ciardi of
Mayhem Pictures.
Brian Kavanaugh Jones will executive produce and Jib Polhemus will act as co-producer.
West directed The Expendables 2, replacing the first film's director, Sylvester Stallone,
with Stallone focusing on acting in and writing the film.
Filming began in summer 2011.
West directed Nicolas Cage in the film Stolen in 2012.
Currently, West is directing a crime thriller film Wild Card with Jason Statham in New Orleans,
a remake of the 1986 film Heat, based on the novel of the same name by William Goldman.
The film is to be released on August 7, 2014.
Filmography Thunder Run
Wild Card The Expendables 2
Mariah Mundi: The Midas Box Stolen
The Mechanic Purple Mountain
When a Stranger Calls Keen Eddie
Black Hawk Down Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
The General's Daughter Con Air
References
External links Simon West at the Internet Movie Database