David Yates

David Yates (born 1963-10-08) is an English filmmaker who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He rose to mainstream prominence by directing the final four films in the Harry Potter film series: entries five, six, seven, and eight (2007–2011). His work on the series brought him major commercial success along with accolades, such as the British Academy Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing. Yates' following projects include, but are not limited to, The Legend of Tarzan (2016) and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). Early in his career, Yates directed various short films and became a prolific television director with credits including the six-part political thriller State of Play (2003), for which he won the Directors Guild of Great Britain Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, the adult two-part documentary drama Sex Traffic (2004), and the Primetime Emmy Award-winning production The Girl in the Café (2005). Yates is a founding member of Directors UK. He has had a close partnership with Warner Bros. as a director and producer.