Simon Napier-Bell is rock manager, author, public speaker and film-maker. Artists he's managed include The Yardbirds, Ultravox, T Rex, Marc Bolan, Japan, Asia, Candi Staton, Boney M, Sinéad O'Connor, Wham, and George Michael. He co-wrote the song You Don't Have To Say You Love Me. He has also written four best-selling music business books: You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, Black Vinyl White Powder, I'm Coming To Take You To Lunch, and Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay. In 2016 he directed three documentary films, To Be Frank; 27 Gone Too Soon; and 50 Years Legal. He is the originating producer of Raiding the Rock Vault, the No 1 rated music show in Las Vegas, and Raiding the Country Vault, in Branson, Missouri.
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Biography from IMDb.
- April 22, 1939 (87)
- Ealing, London, England, UK
- Director, writer, actor and composer
- 5 on MovieCove · 9 credits in all
Known for
What are Simon Napier-Bell's films like?
Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Survival.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 7
Light 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 1
Grounded 7 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0
Gentle 6 · Charged 0 · Intense 1
Steady 7 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0
Casual 6 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 5 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 1
Resolved 6 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet5
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Simon Napier-Bell's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 5 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).
Subscription and free streaming for Simon Napier-Bell's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
9 credits, 5 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
27: Gone Too Soon(2018)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
50 Years Legal(2017)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Sinatra Being Frank(2015)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Girls and Boys - Sex and British Pop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
HARDtalk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
George Michael The Southbank Show 1990 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Chasing Rainbows - A Nation and Its Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
The Guest(1963)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Career shape
A full career of 9 titles from 1964 to 2023.
How do Simon Napier-Bell's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 5; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th2
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
2 of their 5 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed1
Reviewers score the atmosphere 47/100 and the pacing 34/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Simon Napier-Bell work with?
People who share at least 2 of Simon Napier-Bell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Josh Marmaduke Hughes shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Andrew RidgeleyShared titles: WHAM! 10 Days in China (2026), Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Andrew Ridgeley
- George MichaelShared titles: WHAM! 10 Days in China (2026), Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped (2024)See all 2 shared titles with George Michael
- Helen DeMacqueShared titles: WHAM! 10 Days in China (2026), Wham!: Last Christmas Unwrapped (2024)See all 2 shared titles with Helen DeMacque
- Olly AlexanderShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Olly Alexander
Cinematographers and editors
- Josh Marmaduke HughesShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017), Sinatra Being Frank (2015)See all 3 shared titles with Josh Marmaduke Hughes
- J.P. DavidsonShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), Sinatra Being Frank (2015)See all 2 shared titles with J.P. Davidson
- Pietro OcchiuzziShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Pietro Occhiuzzi
Producers
- Duncan Napier-BellShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017), Sinatra Being Frank (2015)See all 3 shared titles with Duncan Napier-Bell
- Alena WalkerShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Alena Walker
- David RogersShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017)See all 2 shared titles with David Rogers
- Marcus SearanckeShared titles: 27: Gone Too Soon (2018), 50 Years Legal (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Marcus Searancke