David Yates

David Yates is an English filmmaker recognized for his work as a director and producer in both film and television, with a notable career in major film franchises. After earning the Best Short Film award at the San Francisco International Film Festival for his 1988 short film When I Was a Girl, David Yates went on to establish a distinguished career in film and television. He directed for the BBC with Oranges and Lemons (1991) and helmed several episodes of the ITV police procedural The Bill (1994-1995). Yates made his feature film debut in 1998 with The Tichborne Claimant.

Yates continued his work within the Wizarding World, directing the Fantastic Beasts prequel series to Harry Potter, commencing with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), followed by Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022). In 2022, he founded his own production company, Wychwood Media. Most recently, Yates directed the drama film Pain Hustlers for Netflix in 2023, further expanding his diverse filmography.