Jim Kouf

Jim Kouf's first feature films, co-written with David Greenwalt, were Class, American Dreamer and Secret Admirer. He also wrote The Hidden under the pseudonym Bob Hunt. In 1984, Kouf made his directorial debut with Miracles, starring Tom Conti, Teri Garr and Christopher Lloyd.

In 1985, he moved to the Disney lot, where he began a partnership with Lynn Bigelow to form Kouf/Bigelow Productions. During that time, Kouf wrote and produced Stakeout and Another Stakeout. He also wrote and directed Disorganized Crime and co-wrote Operation Dumbo Drop. Kouf/Bigelow Productions executive produced Kalifornia for Propaganda, starring Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis; Silent Fall for Morgan Creek/Warner Bros., starring Richard Dreyfuss and Liv Tyler, and directed by Bruce Beresford; and Con Air for Touchstone, starring Nicolas Cage.

Kouf wrote and directed Gang Related starring Jim Belushi, Tupac Shakur, Dennis Quaid, Lela Rochon and James Earl Jones for Orion Pictures and MGM, released in 1997. Kouf co-wrote Rush Hour, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker for New Line in 1998, Snow Dogs, starring Cuba Gooding and James Coburn in 2002, and Taxi, starring Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon in 2004. He has also worked in television, producing and writing for "Angel" and "The Handler."

In 2004, his last Disney release was National Treasure, starring Nicolas Cage, directed by Jon Turteltaub and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. National Treasure 2, which is based on his characters, was released in 2007. In 2007, Kouf co-wrote and directed the independent film A Fork in the Road, starring Jamie King, Silas Weir Mitchell, and Josh Cooke, co-produced with Lynn Kouf, Alan DiFiore, Paul Bernard and James Scura. Kouf has also executive-produced and written for the series "Ghost Whisperer," starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, during its first two seasons. In 2011, Kouf also wrote a TV pilot for Fox Cable's "Buck."

He has also served as executive producer and writer on NBC's acclaimed drama series "Grimm."

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