David Yates

60, from St. Helens, Merseyside, England, UK

Artwork for David Holmes: The Boy Who LivedImage of David Yates

Biography

David Yates (born 30 November 1963) is an English director and producer of film and television, best known for directing the final four films in the Harry Potter franchise.

His first two Potter films (Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince) became the highest-grossing entries in the series since the first instalment, which was later surpassed by Yates' Deathly Hallows - Part 2, making him the most commercially successful British director in recent years. He achieved international attention for his award-winning short films early in his career, which led to him becoming a prolific television director with credits including the BBC costume drama The Way We Live Now, the acclaimed political thriller State of Play and the BAFTA-lauded two-part drama Sex Traffic. Due to the success of these dramas and subsequent projects, Yates is considered as one of Britain's most celebrated directors of film and television.

His work on the Harry Potter series brought him critical and commercial success along with accolades, such as the British Academy Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing. Yates won the Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for the six-part political thriller State of Play (2003).

Throughout his works, Yates uses hand-held cameras to visually provoke the subject matter; the technique is noted as one of his directorial trademarks. Yates is married to Yvonne Walcott, who is the aunt of Arsenal football player Theo Walcott.

Timeline

2023Aged 60

  • Poster for David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived

    Self (archive footage)

  • Poster for Pain Hustlers

    Producer

2022Aged 59

  • Poster for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

    Self

  • Poster for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

    Director

2021Aged 58

  • Poster for (K)nox: The Rob Knox Story

    Self

2018Aged 55

  • Poster for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

    Director

2016Aged 53

  • Poster for The Legend of Tarzan

    Executive Producer

  • Poster for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

    Director

2012Aged 49

  • Poster for Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter

    Self - Director

2011Aged 48

  • Poster for When Harry Left Hogwarts

    Self

  • Poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

    Director

2010Aged 47

  • Poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

    Director

2009Aged 46

  • Poster for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

    Director

2007Aged 44

  • Poster for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

    Director

2005Aged 42

  • Poster for The Girl in the CafĂ©

    Director

2003Aged 40

  • Poster for The Young Visiters

    Director

2002Aged 39

1998Aged 35

  • Poster for The Tichborne Claimant

    Director

1991Aged 28

1988Aged 25

  • Poster for When I Was a Girl

    Producer

Year unknown

  • Poster for Fantastic Beasts 4

    Director

  • Poster for Fantastic Beasts 5

    Director