Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
IMDbPro

Michael Smale

  • Visual Effects
  • Art Department
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Michael Smale is known for Avatar (2009), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and Alita: Battle Angel (2019).
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • More at IMDbPro
      • Contact info
      • Agent info
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Known for

    Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington in Avatar (2009)
    Avatar
    7.9
    • Art Department
    • 2009
    Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
    7.8
    • Visual Effects(Weta FX)
    • 2012
    Jennifer Connelly, Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Eiza González, Rosa Salazar, Ed Skrein, and Keean Johnson in Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
    Alita: Battle Angel
    7.3
    • Visual Effects(Weta Digital)
    • 2019
    Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    7.8
    • Visual Effects(Weta Digital)
    • 2013

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Visual Effects

    • Avatar: Fire and Ash
      • art head of department: Weta Digital
      • Post-production
      • 2025
    • Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Sebastian Hansen in A Minecraft Movie (2025)
      A Minecraft Movie
      5.9
      • art head of department: WETA FX
      • 2025
    • Robbie Williams and Jonno Davies in Better Man (2024)
      Better Man
      7.6
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2024
    • Aileen Wu in Alien: Romulus (2024)
      Alien: Romulus
      7.1
      • leads: Weta FX
      • 2024
    • Attachment Theory (2024)
      Attachment Theory
      7.0
      Short
      • concept designer
      • 2024
    • Peter Macon, Owen Teague, and Freya Allan in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
      Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
      6.9
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2024
    • Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
      Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
      6.0
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2024
    • Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Bae Doona, Michiel Huisman, Charlie Hunnam, Sofia Boutella, and Staz Nair in Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
      Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire
      5.6
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2023
    • Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and Maria Bakalova in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
      Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
      7.9
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2023
    • Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Bailey Bass, and Britain Dalton in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
      Avatar: The Way of Water
      7.5
      • hod: Weta FX
      • 2022
    • Angela Bassett, Florence Kasumba, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong'o, Tenoch Huerta, Alex Livinalli, Michaela Coel, Letitia Wright, Mabel Cadena, and Winston Duke in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
      Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
      6.6
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2022
    • Russell Crowe, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Taika Waititi, Chris Hemsworth, and Tessa Thompson in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
      Thor: Love and Thunder
      6.2
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2022
    • Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Xochitl Gomez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
      Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
      6.9
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2022
    • Salma Hayek, Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, and Lia McHugh in Eternals (2021)
      Eternals
      6.2
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2021
    • Tim Roth, Michelle Yeoh, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Benedict Wong, Meng'er Zhang, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and Florian Munteanu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
      Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
      7.3
      • art head of department: Weta Fx
      • 2021
    • Will Smith and Victor Hugo in Gemini Man (2019)
      Gemini Man
      5.7
      • art head of department: Weta Digital
      • 2019

    Art Department

    • Avatar: Fire and Ash
      • vfx art director
      • Post-production
      • 2025
    • Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Bailey Bass, and Britain Dalton in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
      Avatar: The Way of Water
      7.5
      • vfx art director
      • 2022
    • John Goodman, Clive Owen, Rihanna, Dane DeHaan, and Cara Delevingne in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
      Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
      6.4
      • vfx art director
      • 2017
    • Mark Rylance and Ruby Barnhill in The BFG (2016)
      The BFG
      6.3
      • vfx art director
      • 2016
    • Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
      The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
      7.4
      • assistant art director
      • vfx art director
      • 2014
    • Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, and Luke Evans in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
      The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
      7.8
      • assistant art director
      • 2013
    • Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington in Avatar (2009)
      Avatar
      7.9
      • set designer
      • 2009
    • The Lovely Bones (2009)
      The Lovely Bones
      6.6
      • set designer: second unit
      • 2009
    • District 9 (2009)
      District 9
      7.9
      • draughtsman: second & pick up units
      • 2009
    • Flood (2007)
      Flood
      4.8
      • draughtsman
      • 2007
    • Nick Frost and Simon Pegg in Hot Fuzz (2007)
      Hot Fuzz
      7.8
      • assistant art director
      • 2007
    • Michael Madsen, Liam Neeson, Dawn French, Jim May, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Cameron Rhodes, Tilda Swinton, Ray Winstone, Skandar Keynes, Shane Rangi, and Georgie Henley in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
      The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
      6.9
      • senior draughtsman
      • 2005
    • Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai (2003)
      The Last Samurai
      7.8
      • set designer
      • 2003
    • Kangaroo Jack (2003)
      Kangaroo Jack
      4.5
      • draftsman
      • 2003
    • Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, Kenny Baker, Hayden Christensen, Temuera Morrison, Bodie Taylor, and Richard Stride in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
      Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
      6.6
      • art department assistant
      • 2002
    • Promo One Sheet
      Red Planet
      5.7
      • set designer (uncredited)
      • 2000

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.