Bob Yari ( fa, باب یاری; born May 30, 1961) is an
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian-born
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
film producer and director.
Biography
Yari was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family
in Tehran, Iran. He grew up in New York City, and studied film in Santa Barbara. Yari has produced numerous award winning films, including
Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
and
The Illusionist. His directorial credits include
Papa Hemingway in Cuba, and
Mind Games
Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the a ...
. Yari has also produced numerous televisions series, including
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...
,
1883
Events
January–March
* January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States.
* January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people.
* Ja ...
, and
Mayor of Kingstown
''Mayor of Kingstown'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon. The series premiered on November 14, 2021, on Paramount+. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a second season which is s ...
.
Bob Yari began his film career in the 1980s working for film and television producer
Edgar Scherick
Edgar J. Scherick (October 16, 1924 – December 2, 2002) was an Emmy-winning American television executive and producer of television miniseries, made-for-television films, and theatrical motion pictures.
Life and career
Scherick was born i ...
. In 1989, he directed and produced his first film,
Mind Games
Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the a ...
. Yari left the film industry in the 1990s and spent the next decade developing large scale commercial real estate projects, including
Greenspoint Mall
Greenspoint Mall is a shopping mall located in the Greenspoint neighborhood of Houston, Texas, at the northeast corner of Interstate 45 and Beltway 8 (also known as the Sam Houston Parkway/Tollway). The only remaining anchor is Fitness Connectio ...
in Houston Texas.
In the early 2000s, Yari returned to film and began developing, financing and producing films under four labels, including
Laws of Attraction
''Laws of Attraction'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Howitt, based on a story by Aline Brosh McKenna and screenplay by Robert Harling and McKenna. It stars Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore.
Plot
High-powered div ...
(Stratus Film),
Employee of the Month (Bull’s Eye Entertainment),
A Love Song for Bobby Long
''A Love Song for Bobby Long'' is a 2004 American psychological drama film directed and written by Shainee Gabel, based on the novel ''Off Magazine Street'' by Ronald Everett Capps. It stars John Travolta as the title character, an aging alcoho ...
(El Camino Pictures), and
Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
(Bob Yari Prods).
Over the next decade, Yari is credited with producing over forty features, including
The Painted Veil,
Street Kings, Prime and the
Cody Banks
''Agent Cody Banks'' is a 2003 American spy action comedy film directed by Harald Zwart. The film follows the adventures of the 15-year-old title character, played by Frankie Muniz, who has to finish his chores, avoid getting grounded, and save ...
series. He also produced the feature documentaries Tyson,
Dave Chapelle’s Block Party and
Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police.
In 2016, Bob Yari returned to the director’s chair to helm the biopic
Papa Hemingway in Cuba, which won the jury prize for Best World Feature at the Sonoma International Film Festival. The film was the first U.S. production in over five decades to be shot on location in Havana.
Bob Yari first began producing for television in 2008 with the series
Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
, a spinoff of the Oscar winning film. Yari later partnered with 101 Studios to produce the
Paramount
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
Western series "
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...
," and its prequel "
1883
Events
January–March
* January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States.
* January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people.
* Ja ...
," as well as "
Mayor of Kingstown
''Mayor of Kingstown'' is an American crime thriller television series created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon. The series premiered on November 14, 2021, on Paramount+. In February 2022, the series was renewed for a second season which is s ...
." In 2022, Paramount announced that Yari would executive produce an additional slate of series, including: "1923," another chapter in the "Yellowstone" franchise starring
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...
and
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
, "Land Man," starring
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller ''One False Move'', and received international attention after writing, directing, a ...
, "Lioness" starring
Zoe Saldaña
Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego (née Saldaña Nazario; born June 19, 1978) is an American actress widely known for her work in science fiction franchises, she has appeared in three of the five highest-grossing films of all time (''Avatar'', '' Av ...
, "
Tulsa King
''Tulsa King'' is an American crime drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan with Terence Winter showrunning for Paramount+. The series stars Sylvester Stallone, marking his first leading role in a scripted television series. Stallone ...
", and the limited series "Bass Reeves," starring
David Oyelowo
David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo ( ; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award and two NAACP Image Awards as well as nominations for two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards ...
.
In 2021, Bob Yari published his first book, ''The Human Condition: A Pathway to Peace and Fulfillment,'' exploring a pathway to happiness rooted in a balanced lifestyle and attitude. The following year, Yari published ''On Creation and the Origins of Life: An Exploration of Intelligent Design,'' an exploration of the various possibilities and theories on the start of life on our planet.
Film credits
He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.
Film
As director
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yari, Bob
1961 births
Living people
American film producers
Iranian film producers
American people of Iranian-Jewish descent
Iranian Jews
University of California, Santa Barbara alumni
Iranian diaspora film people
American independent film production company founders