Simon West - 1990s To Today

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’s 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 (2012), 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 Heat with Jason Statham in New Orleans, a remake of 1986 Heat. Film will be released on August 7, 2014, based on a novel Heat by William Goldman.