Jim Kouf

Jim Kouf
Kouf in 2026
Born (1951-07-24) July 24, 1951 (age 75)
Hollywood, California, U.S.
Other namesBob Hunt
James Kouf Jr.
M. James Kouf Jr.
EducationCalifornia Polytechnic State University (BA)
OccupationsScreenwriter, producer, film director

Jim Kouf (born July 24, 1951) is an American screenwriter, film director and producer. His screenwriting credits include Stakeout (1987), The Hidden (1987), Rush Hour (1998), National Treasure (2004) and Money Monster (2016). He also co-created and executive produced the NBC supernatural drama series Grimm (2011–2017). Kouf received the 1988 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture for his screenplay for Stakeout.

Early life and education

Kouf was born in Hollywood, California, on July 24, 1951. He attended California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1974. During his studies, he developed an interest in dramatic writing, including through a playwriting course. He later participated in the university's English Department Career Connections Program, mentoring students interested in careers in the entertainment industry.

Career

Early career and breakthrough

Kouf began working in the film industry in the early 1980s. His early screenwriting credits included The Boogens (1981), for which he used the pseudonym Bob Hunt, Wacko (1982), Pink Motel (1982), Utilities (1983) and Class (1983). During this period, he also wrote the screenplays for Up the Creek (1984), American Dreamer (1984), Secret Admirer (1985) and Shaker Run (1985). His collaboration with fellow screenwriter and producer David Greenwalt dates back to their work on Wacko.

Kouf made his feature-film directorial debut with Miracles (1986), which he also wrote. His breakthrough as a screenwriter came with the action comedy Stakeout (1987), directed by John Badham and starring Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez. Kouf also received a producer credit on the film. His screenplay earned the 1988 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture, presented by the Mystery Writers of America.

In the same year as Stakeout, Kouf wrote the screenplay for the science-fiction thriller The Hidden (1987), again using the name Bob Hunt. He subsequently wrote and directed the crime comedy Disorganized Crime (1989). He returned to the characters from Stakeout as the screenwriter of its sequel, Another Stakeout (1993).

Film work in the 1990s and 2000s

During the 1990s, Kouf continued working in comedy, action and crime films. He wrote Operation Dumbo Drop (1995) and wrote, directed and produced the crime thriller Gang Related (1997), starring Jim Belushi and Tupac Shakur. He also served as an executive producer of the action film Con Air (1997), directed by Simon West and starring Nicolas Cage.

Kouf was a screenwriter of the action comedy Rush Hour (1998), starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. His subsequent film credits included the family comedy Snow Dogs (2002), the action comedy Taxi (2004) and the adventure film National Treasure (2004), starring Nicolas Cage. His screenwriting work during this period included collaborations on films that combined action, comedy and adventure elements.

Kouf subsequently wrote and directed the independent crime comedy A Fork in the Road (2009). His later screenwriting credits included Money for Nothing (2012) and the thriller Money Monster (2016). The latter was directed by Jodie Foster and starred George Clooney and Julia Roberts. Kouf shared screenplay credit with Alan Di Fiore and Jamie Linden. The film was presented out of competition at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Television career

Alongside his film work, Kouf developed a career in television. His early television credits included White Water Rebels (1983), for which he also served as a co-producer, and Last of the Great Survivors (1984). He subsequently worked on the supernatural drama Angel (2000–2001), the crime drama The Handler (2003) and the supernatural series Ghost Whisperer (2006–2007). His work on Angel and Ghost Whisperer contributed to his experience with television stories combining supernatural elements and contemporary settings.

Kouf's most extensive television project was Grimm, a supernatural police procedural that aired on NBC from 2011 to 2017. He co-created the series with David Greenwalt and Stephen Carpenter and worked as a writer, executive producer and showrunner. The series follows Nick Burkhardt, a Portland homicide detective who discovers that he is descended from a line of guardians responsible for protecting humanity from supernatural beings known as Wesen. Its premise combines police investigations with mythology and stories associated with the Brothers Grimm.

The creators chose Portland, Oregon, as the series' setting partly because its forests, rivers and frequently overcast atmosphere provided a visual environment suited to the show's supernatural themes. Kouf and Greenwalt drew on European folklore while gradually expanding the fictional mythology with new creatures and storylines. In interviews during the series' run, they discussed the challenges of developing the mythology and sustaining character relationships across successive seasons.

Grimm concluded in March 2017 after six seasons and 123 episodes. In an interview published shortly after the finale, Kouf and Greenwalt discussed their efforts to resolve the series' remaining mysteries and bring its overarching story to a conclusion. They also reflected on the fictional world they had developed over the course of the production.

Later work

Following the conclusion of Grimm, Kouf remained involved in film production. He was credited as a producer of the independent horror film Thine Ears Shall Bleed (2024), directed and written by Ben Bigelow and co-written by William Bigelow. The film, set in the American West during the 1860s, follows a minister and his family as they encounter a mysterious sound that they initially interpret as a divine presence. Kouf shared producer credits with Lynn Kouf and Dennis Aig. The film was released on digital platforms in July 2024.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1981 The Boogens No Yes No Credited as "Bob Hunt"
1982 Wacko No Yes No
Pink Motel No Yes No
1983 Utilities No Yes No
Class No Yes No
1984 Up the Creek No Yes No
American Dreamer No Yes No
1985 Secret Admirer No Yes No
1986 Shaker Run No Yes No
Miracles Yes Yes No
1987 Stakeout No Yes Yes Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture screenplay
The Hidden No Yes No Credited as "Bob Hunt"
1989 Disorganized Crime Yes Yes No
1993 Another Stakeout No Yes No
1995 Operation Dumbo Drop No Yes No
1997 Gang Related Yes Yes Yes
Con Air No No Yes Executive producer
1998 Rush Hour No Yes No
2002 Snow Dogs No Yes No
2004 Taxi No Yes No
National Treasure No Yes No
2009 A Fork in the Road Yes Yes No
2012 Money for Nothing No Yes No
2016 Money Monster No Yes No Co-written with Alan Di Fiore and Jamie Linden
2024 Thine Ears Shall Bleed No No Yes Horror film directed by Ben Bigelow

Television

Year Title Notes
1983 White Water Rebels Also co-producer
1984 Last of the Great Survivors
2000–2001 Angel Writer and producer
2003 The Handler Writer and producer
2006–2007 Ghost Whisperer Writer and executive producer
2011–2017 Grimm Co-creator, writer, executive producer and showrunner

Awards and recognition

Kouf received the 1988 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture for his screenplay for Stakeout. The award was presented by the Mystery Writers of America.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jim Kouf". California State University. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  2. 1 2 3 "All Winners". Edgar Awards. Mystery Writers of America. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jim Kouf". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  4. 1 2 Bernstein, Abbie (May 18, 2012). "Exclusive Interview: GRIMM co-creators David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf on Season 1 and the future of the series". Assignment X. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  5. 1 2 "Con Air – Cast and Crew". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  6. 1 2 "Money Monster". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  7. 1 2 3 "The gray mood of Portland, Ore.: Like a character on 'Grimm'". Los Angeles Times. October 31, 2014. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  8. ↑ Bernstein, Abbie (January 9, 2014). "Interview: GRIMM co-creators David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf chat more GRIMM Season 3 news". Assignment X. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  9. ↑ "'Grimm' creators on the tearful end of the show and the possibility of it being picked up". Los Angeles Times. April 1, 2017. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  10. 1 2 "Thine Ears Shall Bleed – Cast and Crew". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
  11. 1 2 "Thine Ears Shall Bleed (2024)". The Numbers. Retrieved 2026-10-11.