David Ayer
Encyclopedia
David Ayer is an American screenwriter
, film producer
and film director
.
in 1968. He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota
and Bethesda, Maryland
, where he was kicked out of his house by his parents as a teenager. Ayer then lived with his cousin in Los Angeles, California
, where his experiences in South Central Los Angeles became the inspiration for many of his films.
in the United States Navy
, experience that he had earlier put into rewrites of the submarine
thriller U-571, a fictional account of Americans capturing the Enigma code rather than the British
. The furor that surrounded the film's release led Tony Blair
, then British Prime Minister, to claim that it was an "affront to the memories" of those involved and Bill Clinton
, US President at the time, to write a letter emphasizing the film's fictional nature. Ayer has said that U-571 distorted history by this assertion, and that he would not do it again. "It was a distortion", he said, "a mercenary decision to create this parallel history in order to drive the movie for an American audience. Both my grandparents were officers in World War II
, and I would be personally offended if somebody distorted their achievements." The film has since been described as the most historically inaccurate film of all time.
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.
Ayer's directorial debut was with the film Harsh Times
, a 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 then went on to direct the crime thriller Street Kings, which was released in 2008. He is currently in talks to direct a remake of the 1985 Schwarzenegger
cult classic, Commando
.
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Early life
David Ayer was born in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
in 1968. He grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington, Minnesota
Bloomington is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota in Hennepin County. Located on the north bank of the Minnesota River above its confluence with the Mississippi River, Bloomington lies at the heart of the southern...
and Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, where he was kicked out of his house by his parents as a teenager. Ayer then lived with his cousin in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where his experiences in South Central Los Angeles became the inspiration for many of his films.
Career
Ayer's screenplay, Squids, was based on his experiences as a submarinerSubmariner
Submariner can mean:*A sailor who is a crewman of a submarine*Namor the Sub-Mariner, a comic-book character in the Marvel Comics Universe*Rolex Submariner, a make of diver's watch*Submariner an album by Experimental rock band The Dead Science...
in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, experience that he had earlier put into rewrites of the submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
thriller U-571, a fictional account of Americans capturing the Enigma code rather than the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The furor that surrounded the film's release led Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, then British Prime Minister, to claim that it was an "affront to the memories" of those involved and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, US President at the time, to write a letter emphasizing the film's fictional nature. Ayer has said that U-571 distorted history by this assertion, and that he would not do it again. "It was a distortion", he said, "a mercenary decision to create this parallel history in order to drive the movie for an American audience. Both my grandparents were officers in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and I would be personally offended if somebody distorted their achievements." The film has since been described as the most historically inaccurate film of all time.
Ayer collaborated on the screenplay for The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
in 2001. Ayer wrote the screenplay for crime drama Dark Blue, and it was his research into the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
that led to his most prominent screenplay, Training Day
Training Day
Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
. Ayer signed a contract to write a screenplay for S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. (film)
S.W.A.T. is a 2003 action-crime film directed by Clark Johnson, and is based on the 1975 television series of the same name. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, LL Cool J and Michelle Rodriguez. It was produced by Neal H...
, which was based on his original story pitch. The film was directed by Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson
Clark Johnson , sometimes credited as Clark 'Slappy' Jackson, Clarque Johnson, and J. Clark Johnson, is an American actor and director who has worked in both television and film.-Early years:...
and released in 2003.
Ayer's directorial debut was with the film Harsh Times
Harsh Times
Harsh Times is a 2006 American crime film set in South Los Angeles. The film stars Christian Bale and Freddy Rodriguez, and was written and directed by David Ayer, who wrote the script for the Academy Award-winning film Training Day. The film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and...
, a 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 then went on to direct the crime thriller Street Kings, which was released in 2008. He is currently in talks to direct a remake of the 1985 Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger
Schwarzenegger is a German surname that means person from Schwarzenegg, which is both a town in Switzerland and a place in Land Salzburg in Austria...
cult classic, Commando
Commando (film)
Commando is a 1985 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vernon Wells, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Bill Duke, Dan Hedaya and James Olson. It was directed by Mark L...
.