David Yates most notable credits to date are the last four Harry Potter films. But what has the director been up to since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? There was talk about him maybe directing The Stand a few years back, but then he backed out. And then there was a Doctor Who feature project that didn't happen. And coming up, he's been attached to direct a British war drama St. Nazaire, which IMDB has listed as "in production," so we might be seeing that soon enough. But it looks like Yates may be turning back to television, as he's reportedly set to direct a pilot for FX.
Deadline says Yates has been brought on board to direct the FX pilot Tyrant, which comes from Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff (Homeland) and Craig Wright (Six Feet Under). The project tells the story of "an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation." Not much more is given on the premise of this pilot, which was created by Raff and is being developed by Gordon and Wright. But it's an interesting combination of writers when we consider Gordon and Raff's experience with the successful politically charged Homeland and Wright's experience working on a dark family drama (SFU). That experience combined could yield something pretty intense if done right. Deadline also mentions that the pilot will be shot in Morocco.
As mentioned, this would be a return to TV for Yates, who directed British miniseries State of Play, The Way We Live Now and The Sins before turning to the big screen for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the three HP films that followed. If a return to TV is what he's up for, FX certainly isn't a bad place to start. The network continues to make a name for itself with its original dramas, including Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, and most recently, The Americans.
