David Ayer (original) (raw)

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American filmmaker (born 1968)

David Ayer
Ayer at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born (1968-01-18) January 18, 1968 (age 57)Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Occupations Film directorfilm producerscreenwriter
Years active 2000–present
Spouse Mireya Ayer ​ ​(m. 2002; sep. 2017)​
Children 4

David Ayer (born January 18, 1968) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his action work, writing films such as Training Day (2001), The Fast and the Furious (2001), and S.W.A.T. (2003), and directing films such as End of Watch (2012), Fury (2014), Suicide Squad (2016), The Beekeeper (2024), and A Working Man (2025).[1]

Early life and education

[edit]

Ayer as a submariner in the U.S. Navy during the 1980s.

Ayer was born in Champaign, Illinois, on January 18, 1968, and grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota, and Bethesda, Maryland, where he was kicked out of his house by his parents as a teenager.[2] Ayer lived with his cousin in Los Angeles, California, where his experiences in South Central Los Angeles became the inspiration for many of his films.[3] Ayer dropped out of high school and painted houses for a living.[4] Ayer enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a submarine sonar technician (STS) aboard the USS Haddo (SSN-604).[5][6] He has spoken favorably about his time in the Navy and has credited it with his successful filmmaking career.[7] His grandfather was also in the Navy in the 1950s.[7]

Ayer's screenplay, U-571 was based on his experiences as a submariner in the U.S. Navy. Ayer collaborated on the screenplay for The Fast and the Furious in 2001. Ayer wrote the screenplay for crime drama Dark Blue, and it was his research into the Los Angeles Police Department that led to his most prominent screenplay, Training Day. Ayer signed a contract to write a screenplay for S.W.A.T., which was based on his original story pitch. The film was directed by Clark Johnson and released in 2003.

In 2006, Ayer admitted that U-571 had distorted history, and said that he would not do it again.[8] He told BBC Radio 4's The Film Programme that he "did not feel good" about suggesting that Americans, rather than the British, had captured the naval Enigma cipher: "It was a distortion ... a mercenary decision ... to create this parallel history in order to drive the film for an American audience. Both my grandparents were officers in the Second World War, and I would be personally offended if somebody distorted their achievements."[9]

Ayer's directorial debut was with the film Harsh Times, an action-drama set on the streets of South Central Los Angeles, showing how drug use and past military experiences affects people's attempts to lead normal lives. He went on to direct the action thriller Street Kings, which was released in 2008.

Ayer later wrote and directed End of Watch, an action thriller about the daily lives of two South Central Los Angeles policemen, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña. The film was released in the fall of 2012 to profitable box-office returns and favorable reception from critics, with Roger Ebert naming it as the fourth-best film of 2012, hailing it as "one of the best police movies in recent years".[10] His next film was the action thriller Sabotage, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; the film was released on March 28, 2014. He wrote and directed the World War II-set action film, Fury, starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman; the film was released in October 2014.[11]

Ayer wrote and directed the film adaptation of the comic book Suicide Squad, which was released on August 5, 2016. The film, along with Ayer's directing, received negative reviews, though it became his most commercially successful film to date.[12]

Ayer also directed Bright, "a contemporary cop thriller, but with fantastical elements", starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton with a script penned by Max Landis that Ayer rewrote.[13][14] Netflix picked up the film for a $90 million deal.[15] The film was released on December 22, 2017. On January 3, 2018, Netflix confirmed they were moving ahead with the sequel for Bright, with Smith and Edgerton reprising their roles and Ayer directing and writing the script with Evan Spiliotopoulos, the filming of which began in March 2019.[16] This ultimately did not happen due to Will Smith's schedule, and on May 5, 2020, he was replaced with Louis Leterrier as Ayer wanted to focus on The Dirty Dozen remake for Warner Bros.[17]

On December 13, 2016, Ayer was brought on board to direct the spin-off of Suicide Squad, Gotham City Sirens, which evolved into Birds of Prey, directed by Cathy Yan,[18] and starring Margot Robbie reprising her role of Harley Quinn.[19] Gotham City Sirens remained in development, but as of April 2021, Gotham City Sirens has been put on pause.[20]

Ayer established Cedar Park Entertainment on January 4, 2018, with former head of programming at Audience Network, Chris Long. Primarily established to produce films and television shows, the first film Cedar Park produced was 2020's The Tax Collector, Ayer's second collaboration with actor Shia LaBeouf.[21][22] On June 21, 2018, it set a first look deal with Entertainment One, and it will cover television series, both scripted and unscripted.[23]

In May 2022, Ayer signed on to direct action thriller The Beekeeper for Miramax, written by Kurt Wimmer and starring Jason Statham, with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer later acquiring domestic distribution rights.[24][25] In October 2023, it was announced that Ayer and Statham would reunite to work on A Working Man, from a screenplay by Sylvester Stallone and Ayer, based on the novel Levon's Trade by Chuck Dixon, with production expected to begin in March 2024.[26]

Film

Cameo roles

Television

Other roles

Unrealized projects

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  1. ^ The footage shot during the film’s principal photography was written by David Ayer but the footage shot during the film’s reshoots/additional photography (described as being a higher amount than the average for a film[27]) was written by Geoff Johns.[28] Ayer retained sole writing credit for the finished film.

  2. ^ "David Ayer". www.hollywood.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

  3. ^ Simon, Jeff (October 17, 2014). "David Ayer's bumpy and brilliant road to Fury". The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 14, 2021.

  4. ^ Carbone, Nick (September 21, 2012). "'End of Watch' Director David Ayer on Reinventing the Cop Genre". Time. Retrieved July 22, 2016.

  5. ^ Cabin, Chris (January 22, 2017). "David Ayer Pens Message About 'Suicide Squad' Reception & The Joker's Role". Collider.

  6. ^ Barnes, Henry (October 16, 2014). "David Ayer: 'There's something maternal about the tank in Fury'". The Guardian. Retrieved July 22, 2016.

  7. ^ Gettell, Oliver (September 19, 2012). "David Ayer writes his own rules for the cop genre in 'End of Watch'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 22, 2016.

  8. ^ a b "David Ayer Movies". Twitter.

  9. ^ "U-571 writer regrets 'distortion'". August 18, 2006.

  10. ^ "U-571". August 28, 2012.

  11. ^ Ebert, Roger (September 19, 2012). "End of Watch". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.

  12. ^ Lesnick, Silas (May 1, 2013). "Logan Lerman Enlists for Fury". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on May 3, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2013.

  13. ^ "David Ayer Movie Box Office Results". boxofficemojo.com.

  14. ^ Goldberg, Matt (March 2, 2016). "Will Smith and David Ayer Reteam for Bright with Joel Edgerton". Collider.

  15. ^ Kroll, Justin (March 3, 2016). "Will Smith, David Ayer Reteaming on Max Landis Spec 'Bright'". Variety.

  16. ^ Goldberg, Matt (March 18, 2016). "Netflix Makes Mammoth Deal for David Ayer's 'Bright' Starring Will Smith". Collider.

  17. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 3, 2018). "Netflix Firms 'Bright' Sequel With Will Smith". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 4, 2018.

  18. ^ "Louis Leterrier Making Netflix Deal to Direct Will Smith & Joel Edgerton in 'Bright 2'". May 5, 2020.

  19. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 17, 2018). "Cathy Yan Is Warner Bros' Choice To Direct Margot Robbie in Next Harley Quinn Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.

  20. ^ "David Ayer, Margot Robbie Reteam on Female DC Villains Movie".

  21. ^ "DC's Gotham City Sirens Movie on Hold Says Director". Screen Rant. January 8, 2020.

  22. ^ Holloway, Daniel (January 4, 2018). "Chris Long, David Ayer Launch Indie Studio Cedar Park Entertainment". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.

  23. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 21, 2018). "David Ayer Sets Gritty LA Crime Thriller 'Tax Collector;' Shia LaBeouf, Bobby Soto Star For Cross Creek". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2020.

  24. ^ Turchiano, Danielle (June 21, 2018). "David Ayer and Chris Long's Cedar Park Sets First-Look Deal With eOne". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2020.

  25. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 5, 2022). "'Suicide Squad' Filmmaker David Ayer To Direct Jason Statham In Miramax's Action Pic 'The Beekeeper' — Cannes Market Hot Package". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 18, 2022.

  26. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (August 31, 2022). "Jason Statham-David Ayer Action Pic 'The Beekeeper' Pre-Bought By MGM For U.S. & Some Of International". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 18, 2022.

  27. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 27, 2023). "Jason Statham To Star In David Ayer-Directed Sylvester Stallone Script 'Levon's Trade' From Black Bear & Bill Block's BlockFilm — AFM Hot Package". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 11, 2024.

  28. ^ D’Alessandro, David (August 8, 2016). "reshoots(some say that cost the studio an extra $22M)". Deadline. Retrieved June 7, 2023.

  29. ^ Ayer, David (February 9, 2022). "Just me. Johns had a hand in the reshoot pages". Twitter. Retrieved June 7, 2023.

  30. ^ a b "David Ayer Delves Into the L.A. Underground with Street Kings [Exclusive]". www.movieweb.com. August 20, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

  31. ^ "Seller set at helm of Seagal Film". Variety. September 22, 1997. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

  32. ^ "Seagal's 'Patriot' to bow on HBO". Variety. August 18, 1998. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

  33. ^ "'U-571's Ayer sells 'Squids'". Variety. April 14, 2000. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

  34. ^ Kit, Borys; Crabtree, Sheigh (November 4, 2005). "Ayer wrangles Warners redo of 'Wild Bunch'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 16, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  35. ^ Film Review. Orpheus Pub. 2006.

  36. ^ "Ayer will don 'Mafia' job". Variety. October 4, 2006. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

  37. ^ Fleming, Michael (October 9, 2008). "Bana gets 'Armored' for Millennium". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  38. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr (October 7, 2019). "Jason Statham & Guy Ritchie Re-Team For Miramax Action Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  39. ^ Kit, Borys (February 13, 2009). "Ayer spins DW sea tale". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  40. ^ Fleming, Michael (March 9, 2009). "New Regency lands 'Man'". Variety. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  41. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 28, 2010). "Fox To Remake Famed Schwarzenegger Pic". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  42. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 3, 2012). "HBO Developing Political Thriller Drama From 'Training Day' Writer David Ayer". Deadline. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

  43. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 19, 2017). "David Ayer In Early Talks To Direct 'Scarface' Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  44. ^ Masters, Kim (July 12, 2017). "Universal's 'Scarface' Reboot Loses Director David Ayer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  45. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 15, 2017). "Starz Nabs David Ayer Latino Drama 'Family Crimes' From Jerry Bruckheimer TV With Production Commitment". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  46. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 27, 2018). "'Family Crimes' Drama From David Ayer & JBTV Not Going Forward At Starz". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  47. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 23, 2018). "Stephen King's 'The Bone Church' To Be Developed As Series By Chris Long & David Ayer's Cedar Park". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  48. ^ Galuppo, Mia (March 15, 2018). "Chris Long, David Ayer's Cedar Park Options 1960s Political Drama 'Cointelpro' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

  49. ^ Petski, Denise (October 19, 2018). "eOne Acquires TV Rights To Bruce Henderson's 'Sons and Soldiers' Book With Eric Tuchman & David Ayer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  50. ^ "'Major Crimes' Los Angeles True Crime Anthology Series In Works By David Ayer, Tucker Tooley & eOne". Deadline. July 2, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

  51. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 8, 2019). "David Ayer To Direct Lionsgate WWII Tank Battle Thriller 'El-Alamein'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  52. ^ Petski, Denise (September 25, 2019). "'DEA' Drama From Craig Gore, Cedar Park Duo & eOne Lands At Fox With Penalty". Deadline. Retrieved August 12, 2025.

  53. ^ Petski, Denise (October 2, 2019). "Fox To Develop Family Soap 'Troubleshooter' From Sheri Elwood, Cedar Park & eOne". Deadline. Retrieved August 13, 2025.

  54. ^ "Albert Hughes To Direct 'North Hollywood' Movie, Based On Real-Life Deadly Shootout, For Stampede & AGC Studios". Deadline. October 7, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2025.

  55. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (December 16, 2019). "Warner Bros Sets David Ayer For 'The Dirty Dozen' Remake; Simon Kinberg Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  56. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 26, 2020). "Netflix Acquires Harlan Coben Thriller Novel 'Six Years' For David Ayer To Script & Direct". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  57. ^ Sharf, Zack (February 10, 2022). "'End Of Watch' TV Adaptation Co-Written By Movie's David Ayer Gets Fox Script-To-Series Commitment". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2024.

  58. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 26, 2023). "David Ayer Officially Boards NFT Series 'Lollipop' Which He Will Write And Exec Produce". Deadline. Retrieved August 13, 2025.