David Ayer

Best known as a Director based on credits in that role in 11 films, with $1,231,070,232 worldwide aggregate box office (rank #158)
Best-known technical roles: Suicide Squad (Director), Suicide Squad (Screenwriter), The Beekeeper (Director), Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (Executive Producer), The Beekeeper (Producer)
Most productive collaborators: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Charles Roven, Joel Kinnaman
Born: January 18, 1968 (56 years old)
                                    

  1. Summary
  2. News
  3. Acting Credits
  4. Technical Credits

Career Summary


  MoviesDomestic
Box Office
International
Box Office
Worldwide
Box Office
In Technical RolesDirector11$559,294,481$671,775,751$1,231,070,232
Screenwriter10$804,462,935$753,214,522$1,557,677,457
Producer9$207,775,760$212,091,681$419,867,441
Executive Producer1$84,158,461$116,847,091$201,005,552
Co-Producer1$76,261,036$28,244,316$104,505,352

Latest Ranking on Selected Box Office Record Lists


Limited and Virtual Releases: I Used to Go Here Leads the Pack

August 6th, 2020

I Used to Go Here

It is a busier week than usual for theatrical releases, with twelve of them in total. Unfortunately, most of them are earning reviews that are merely good, or worse. Much worse in some cases. The few films that have the reviews strong enough to thrive are the wrong genre for the pandemic era. Hopefully films like I Used to Go Here will do well enough in VOD, but don’t expect much in theaters. More...

2016 Preview: August

August 1st, 2016

Suicide Squad

July did reasonably well, thanks mostly to The Secret Life of Pets, which will top $300 million shortly and could earn double its nearest competitor when all is said and done. That said, there were also a quartet of $100 million hits as well, so the month had good depth as well. August isn’t as lucky. There is one film that is expected to earn $100 million during its opening weekend, Suicide Squad, and one more that is expected to reach $100 million in total, Pete’s Dragon. There could be a surprise hit among the rest of the releases, (my long shot with a shot is Sausage Party) but for the most part, the rest of the wide releases would be happy with just $50 million at the box office. Last August was a disaster and Straight Outta Compton was the only hit of the month. Unless Suicide Squad bombs compared to expectations, 2016 will come out ahead in the year-over-year comparison. More...

2014 Preview: October

September 30th, 2014

Fury poster

September is over and while it got off to a bad start, a really, really, truly terrible start, it actually ended on a bit of a strong note. Granted, no film has yet to reach $100 million, but The Maze Runner and The Equalizer both could get there in the end. As for October, we might go another month without a $100 million hit. There are a couple of films that have the potential to reach the century mark, Gone Girl and Fury. Hopefully they will get there, but given the recent box office woes, it is probably best to keep expectations low. Last October, there were two films that earned more than $100 million. Bad Grandpa just made it passed that mark. On the other hand, Gravity was a monster hit earning nearly $275 million. It you compare its run to this year's batch of films, it only ranks behind Guardians of the Galaxy. ... There's no way any film opening this month is going to match that. ... There no way the top two films will match that. ... The top three films might not match that. ... 2014 is going to get crushed in the year-over-year comparison and by the end of the month, it will be safe to say its chances of ever catching up to 2013 will be over. It is going to be a depressing month. More...

2014 Preview: March

March 1st, 2014

Divergent poster

2014 continued its strong run in February with The Lego Movie beating even the high end expectations and will become the first film released in 2014 to reach $200 million. March doesn't look as strong, as no film is on track to hit $200 million, but there are five films that have a chance at $100 million. Granted, not all of them will get there; in fact, there's a chance only one of them will get there. Divergent is the film I think has the best shot at the century club, but it could be joined by Mr. Peabody and Sherman, for instance, which is earning surprisingly strong reviews. Noah is a big-budget Bible epic and the studio has to be hoping for at least $100 million, but the buzz is quite negative and there have been reports of troubles behind-the-scenes. Last March was led by Oz The Great and Powerful, which pulled in more than $200 million domestically. I don't think any film opening this March will match that figure. In addition, The Croods and G.I. Joe: Retaliation also hit the $100 million milestone, while Olympus Has Fallen came very close. Granted, there were also some big bombs last March, like The Host, but even so, I think 2014 will lose ground in the year-over-year comparison. More...

Featured Blu-ray / DVD Review: End of Watch

January 21st, 2013

End of Watch was released in September, which is usually a terrible sign. It didn't seem like a bad movie from the trailer, and there was a lot of buzz going in, but still, that release date is usually a death sentence. Its reviews turned out to be better than expected, award-worthy, in fact. But it was only able to become a midlevel hit. Granted, it was profitable thanks to its low budget and it is one of the best runs for the studio. Will it be able to find an audience on the home market? More...

All Acting Credits



All Technical Credits



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Release
Date
TitleRoleDomestic
Box Office
International
Box Office
Worldwide
Box Office
Jan 12, 2024The Beekeeper Director
Producer
$66,063,822$59,989,614$126,053,436
Aug 7, 2020The Tax Collector Director
Screenwriter
Producer
$1,044,212$265,759$1,309,971
Feb 7, 2020Birds of Prey (And the Fant… Executive Producer $84,158,461$116,847,091$201,005,552
Dec 13, 2017Bright Director
Producer
Aug 5, 2016Suicide Squad Screenwriter
Director
$325,100,054$420,644,926$745,744,980
Oct 17, 2014Fury Director
Screenwriter
Producer
$85,817,906$124,497,775$210,315,681
Mar 28, 2014Sabotage Director
Screenwriter
Producer
$10,508,518$7,867,925$18,376,443
Sep 21, 2012End of Watch Screenwriter
Director
Producer
$41,003,371$16,583,235$57,586,606
Apr 11, 2008Street Kings Director $26,418,667$39,039,144$65,457,811
Nov 10, 2006Harsh Times Director
Screenwriter
Producer
$3,337,931$2,887,373$6,225,304
Aug 8, 2003S.W.A.T. Screenwriter $116,877,597$90,277,151$207,154,748
Oct 5, 2001Training Day Screenwriter
Co-Producer
$76,261,036$28,244,316$104,505,352
Jun 22, 2001The Fast and the Furious Screenwriter $144,512,310$61,946,062$206,458,372
 
Averages $81,758,657$80,757,531$162,516,188
Totals 13 $981,103,885$969,090,371$1,950,194,256


Director Credits


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Release
Date
TitleOpening
Weekend
Maximum
Theaters
Domestic
Box Office
Worldwide
Box Office
Domestic
Share
Jan 12, 2024The Beekeeper $16,576,0073,337$66,063,822$126,053,43652.4%
Aug 7, 2020The Tax Collector $309,694138$1,044,212$1,309,97179.7%
Dec 13, 2017Bright
Aug 5, 2016Suicide Squad $133,682,2484,255$325,100,054$745,744,98043.6%
Oct 17, 2014Fury $23,702,4213,313$85,817,906$210,315,68140.8%
Mar 28, 2014Sabotage $5,272,4442,486$10,508,518$18,376,44357.2%
Sep 21, 2012End of Watch $13,152,6832,780$41,003,371$57,586,60671.2%
Apr 11, 2008Street Kings $12,469,6312,469$26,418,667$65,457,81140.4%
Nov 10, 2006Harsh Times $1,968,505956$3,337,931$6,225,30453.6%
 
Averages $25,891,7042,467$69,911,810$153,883,77954.9%
Totals 9 $559,294,481$1,231,070,232


Producer Credits


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Release
Date
TitleOpening
Weekend
Maximum
Theaters
Domestic
Box Office
Worldwide
Box Office
Domestic
Share
Jan 12, 2024The Beekeeper $16,576,0073,337$66,063,822$126,053,43652.4%
Aug 7, 2020The Tax Collector $309,694138$1,044,212$1,309,97179.7%
Dec 13, 2017Bright
Oct 17, 2014Fury $23,702,4213,313$85,817,906$210,315,68140.8%
Mar 28, 2014Sabotage $5,272,4442,486$10,508,518$18,376,44357.2%
Sep 21, 2012End of Watch $13,152,6832,780$41,003,371$57,586,60671.2%
Nov 10, 2006Harsh Times $1,968,505956$3,337,931$6,225,30453.6%
 
Averages $10,163,6262,168$34,629,293$69,977,90759.2%
Totals 7 $207,775,760$419,867,441


Writer Credits


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Release
Date
TitleOpening
Weekend
Maximum
Theaters
Domestic
Box Office
Worldwide
Box Office
Domestic
Share
Aug 7, 2020The Tax Collector $309,694138$1,044,212$1,309,97179.7%
Aug 5, 2016Suicide Squad $133,682,2484,255$325,100,054$745,744,98043.6%
Oct 17, 2014Fury $23,702,4213,313$85,817,906$210,315,68140.8%
Mar 28, 2014Sabotage $5,272,4442,486$10,508,518$18,376,44357.2%
Sep 21, 2012End of Watch $13,152,6832,780$41,003,371$57,586,60671.2%
Nov 10, 2006Harsh Times $1,968,505956$3,337,931$6,225,30453.6%
Aug 8, 2003S.W.A.T. $37,062,5353,220$116,877,597$207,154,74856.4%
Oct 5, 2001Training Day $22,550,7882,712$76,261,036$104,505,35273.0%
Jun 22, 2001The Fast and the Furious $40,089,0152,905$144,512,310$206,458,37270.0%
 
Averages $30,865,5932,529$89,384,771$173,075,27360.6%
Totals 9 $804,462,935$1,557,677,457