David Ayer

David Ayer (also known as دیوید آیر) is an American writer-director born on January 18, 1968, in Champaign, Illinois. He built his reputation on hard-edged, street-level storytelling—often rooted in Los Angeles—where themes of gangs, loyalty, and police corruption collide with a gritty sense of realism.

Ayer first gained major attention as a screenwriter, contributing to influential early-2000s action and crime hits such as Training Day, The Fast and the Furious, and S.W.A.T.. His writing voice—tough, character-driven, and steeped in urban detail—helped shape a wave of modern crime cinema.

As a director, he expanded that sensibility across films including Harsh Times, Street Kings, End of Watch, and Sabotage, later moving into bigger franchises and genre blends with DC’s Suicide Squad and Netflix’s Bright. He has also returned to large-scale action with The Beekeeper (2024).

Ayer is known for recurring creative partnerships, notably collaborating twice with Shia LaBeouf on Fury and The Tax Collector, and frequently working with longtime friend Cle Shaheed Sloan, who has appeared across multiple Ayer projects.