John Alan Simon is the president and chief executive officer of Discovery Films, with a diverse background in the film industry. He has been involved in the financing, production, sales, and marketing of numerous independent features, including the cult classic The Wicker Man (1973) starring Edward Woodward, The Haunting of Julia (1977) featuring Mia Farrow and Tom Conti, and Out of the Blue (1980) starring and directed by Dennis Hopper.
In partnership with Rosenbloom Entertainment, Discovery has acquired the film rights to three novels by renowned science-fiction author Philip K. Dick, whose works have inspired successful films such as Blade Runner and Total Recall. Simon wrote the screenplay and developed Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said, based on Dick's novel of the same name, for Paramount Pictures in collaboration with Tom Cruise/Paula Wagner Productions and Oliver Stone's production company Illusion Entertainment.
Prior to his career in film, Simon was a successful journalist and film critic, serving as a staff writer for the New Orleans Times Picayune and editor-in-chief of New Orleans Magazine. He graduated from Harvard College with honors in History and Literature, where he also served as an editor of the Harvard Crimson. Simon later taught film and writing at Tulane University, Loyola University, and the University of Illinois, and wrote featured articles and film/music reviews for publications such as Downbeat, American Film, and the Chicago Sun-Times.
