Nicholas Andrew Simon (born 21 March 1969), known professionally as Nicholas Simon, is a Hungarian-American film producer born in Rockford, Illinois, currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand. 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.”
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.
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.
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. 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.”
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. 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. Upcoming projects include adapting Jon Swain’s River of Time with Lawrence Osborne as the screenplay writer for a feature film, as well as Lawrence Osborne’s own Hunters in the Dark for the big screen.
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.
In 2020, Simon also founded another production company, Studio Muso.
He has been a jurist and panelist at several industry events since 2003. He has also written op-eds for the Thai Enquirer.
Filmography Year Film Director Role1995CycloTrần Anh HùngPost-Production Producer/Special Thanks1997Distant SkiesThierry ChabertLine Producer, Vietnam2000The Vertical Ray of the SunTrần Anh HùngLine Producer2003City of GhostsMatt DillonAssociate Producer2003Step into LiquidDana BrownLine Producer, Vietnam2003What Alice FoundA. Dean BellExecutive Producer (uncredited)2004The Beautiful CountryHans Petter MolandLine Producer, Vietnam2005RxAriel VromenProducer2010Ultrasuede: In Search of HalstonWhitney Sudler-SmithProducer2010The Best and the BrightestJosh ShelovProducer2011Transformers 3: Dark of the MoonMichael BayLine Producer, Cambodia2012Act of ValorMike McCoy and Scott WaughLine Producer, Cambodia2015PanJoe WrightLine Producer, Vietnam VFX Unit2015KenzheErmek TursunovLine Producer, Thailand2015Avengers: Age of UltronJoss Whedon/Scott Mahaffie (Second unit)Line Producer, Bangladesh2017LimaNeill BlomkampLine Producer, Thailand2017Kong: Skull IslandJordan Vogt-RobertsLine Producer, Vietnam2017A Prayer Before DawnJean-Stephane SauvaireProducer2017/ON HOLDHue 1968Michael MannCo-Producer, Thailand and Vietnam2018Avengers: Infinity WarRusso brothersLine Producer and Aerial Unit, The Philippines2018Les Confins Du MondeGuillaume NiclouxCo-Producer and Line Producer2019BuoyancyRodd RathjenProduction Consultant, Cambodia2019Avengers: EndgameRusso brothersLine Producer and Aerial Unit, the Philippines2019MonsoonHong KhaouExecutive for Indochina Productions, Vietnam2020ExtractionSam HargraveLine Producer for Indochina Productions, Thailand and Bangladesh2020Da 5 BloodsSpike LeeLine Producer for Indochina Productions, Vietnam2020Target Number OneDaniel RobyExecutive for Indochina Productions, Thailand2020Penguin BloomGlendyn IvinExecutive for Indochina Productions2021Finding 'OhanaJude WengLine Producer for Indochina Productions, Thailand2021Hunters in the DarkSimon EvanCo-Producer2021River of TimeTBATBA2023 (upcoming)The SymphatizerPark Chan-WookCo-Producer2023The CreatorGareth EdwardsCo-Producer2023Deane's DynastyPatrick CarrProducer, Co-Creator2023Meg 2Ben WheatleyLine Producer2023MandalorianJon FavreauLine Producer, Vietnam - Plate Unit
References
External links IMDb Profile