Bob Yari

Bob Yari
Born (1961-05-30) May 30, 1961 (age 63)
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma materUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
OccupationFilm Producer
Years active1989–present

Bob Yari (Persian: باب یاری; born May 30, 1961) is an Iranian-born American film producer and director.

Biography

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Yari was born to a Jewish family[1][2] 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 and The Illusionist. His directorial credits include Papa Hemingway in Cuba, and Mind Games.[3] Yari has also produced numerous televisions series, including Yellowstone, 1883, and Mayor of Kingstown.

Yari began his film career in the 1980s working for film and television producer Edgar Scherick.[4] In 1989, he directed and produced his first film, Mind Games. Yari left the film industry in the 1990s and spent the next decade developing large scale commercial real estate projects, including Greenspoint Mall in Houston, Texas.[5] In the early 2000s, Yari returned to film and began developing, financing and producing films under four labels, including Laws of Attraction (Stratus Film), Employee of the Month (Bull’s Eye Entertainment), A Love Song for Bobby Long (El Camino Pictures), and Crash (Bob Yari Prods).[5] Over the next decade, Yari is credited with producing over forty features, including The Painted Veil, Street Kings, Prime and the Cody Banks series. He also produced the feature documentaries Tyson, Dave Chapelle’s Block Party and Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police.[6]

In 2016, 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.[7] The film was the first U.S. production in over five decades to be shot on location in Havana.[8][9]

Yari first began producing for television in 2008 with the series Crash, a spinoff of the Oscar winning film.[10] Yari later partnered with 101 Studios to produce the Paramount Western series Yellowstone, and its prequel 1883, as well as Mayor of Kingstown. 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 and Harrison Ford, Land Man, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lioness starring Zoe Saldaña, Tulsa King, and the limited series Bass Reeves, starring David Oyelowo.[11][12]

In 2021, 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.[13] 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.[14]

Film credits

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He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

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Year Film Credit
1989 Mind Games Executive Producer
1998 Gohar-e shab cheragh Executive producer
2000 Perfect Fit
2003 Agent Cody Banks Executive producer
Where the Red Fern Grows
Devil's Pond Executive producer
2004 Employee of the Month
In Enemy Hands Executive producer
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London
Laws of Attraction Executive producer
House of D
A Love Song for Bobby Long
Crash
Haven
Around the Bend Executive producer
2005 Thumbsucker Executive producer
The Chumscrubber Executive producer
The Matador Executive producer
Hostage
The L.A. Riot Spectacular Executive producer
Sueño Executive producer
Winter Passing Executive producer
Prime Executive producer
2006 The Illusionist
Find Me Guilty Executive producer
Even Money Executive producer
First Snow
The Hoax
Gray Matters
The Painted Veil
Factory Girl Executive producer
2007 Resurrecting the Champ
Kickin' It Old Skool
Christmas in Wonderland Executive producer
2008 Assassination of a High School President
The Accidental Husband
Street Kings Executive producer
Nothing but the Truth
What Doesn't Kill You
2009 The Maiden Heist
Possession
2014 The Barber Executive producer
2015 Papa: Hemingway in Cuba
2017 The Current War Executive producer
2019 Above Suspicion Executive producer
2020 The War with Grandpa Executive producer
2023 Finestkind Executive producer
Strange Darling Executive producer
TBA
Fireflies at El Mozote Executive producer

As director

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Year Film
1989 Mind Games
2015 Papa: Hemingway in Cuba

Television

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Year Title Credit
2008−09 Crash Executive producer
2019 The Last Cowboy Executive producer
2019− Yellowstone Executive producer
2021 Under the Influence Executive producer
2021− Mayor of Kingstown Executive producer
2021−22 1883 Executive producer
2022− Tulsa King Executive producer
1923 Executive producer
George & Tammy Executive producer
2023 Waco: The Aftermath Executive producer
Special Ops: Lioness Executive producer
Lawmen: Bass Reeves Executive producer
TBA 6666 Executive producer
Land Man Executive producer

References

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  1. ^ "Having found success in U.S., Iranian Jews turn to show biz". JewishLight. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  2. ^ Jewish Telegraph Agency: "Arts & Culture Having Found Success in U.s., Iranian Jews Turn to Show Biz" June 29, 2006
  3. ^ Verongos, Helen (April 28, 2016). "Review: 'Papa: Hemingway in Cuba,' a Mild Voyage With the Old Man and 'the Kid'". New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  4. ^ Finke, Nikki (January 30, 2003). "The Sundance Suckers". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Mall mogul makes movie moves". Variety. August 3, 2003. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Can't Stand Losing You: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. November 12, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Driscoll, Molly (May 9, 2014). "Hemingway biopic 'Papa' brings Hollywood back to Cuba". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (April 29, 2016). "'Hemingway' filmmaker Bob Yari sees Cuba as a cinematic Garden of Eden after U.S. bid farewell to embargo". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "Film Review: 'Papa: Hemingway in Cuba'". Variety. April 27, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  10. ^ Bellefante, Ginia (October 16, 2008). "Trafficking in Intimate Deceptions". New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  11. ^ "Paramount Plus Orders More '1883' Episodes, New 'Yellowstone' Prequel Series '1932'". Variety. February 15, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  12. ^ "Taylor Sheridan's 'Yellowstone' Prequel Series '1932' at Paramount+ Renamed '1923'". Variety. June 20, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  13. ^ Radon, Michael (June 30, 2022). "The Human Condition: A Pathway to Peace and Fulfillment". Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  14. ^ On Creation and the Origins of Life: An Exploration of Intelligent Design. March 27, 2022. ISBN 978-1663226129.
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