Movies
Trailers TV DVD News Celebs Fan Sites
MyHollywood
Get Movie Showtimes & Tickets

Go
Go
Celebs
Photos
Fan Sites
Apply
Directory
Support
MyHollywood
Sign In
Sign Up
Browse Forums
Become Moderator
Hot List

Home Celebs Richard D. Zanuck
Bullet Arrow Photos
Bullet Arrow News
Bullet Arrow Interviews
Bullet Arrow Premieres
Bullet Arrow Forums
Bullet Arrow Fan Sites
Bullet Arrow Get a Poster at AllPosters.com
Advertisement
It would seem almost preordained that the son of legendary studio head Darryl F. Zanuck would pursue a career in the film industry. While still in college, Richard D Zanuck began working in the story department at 20th Century-Fox and immediately after graduating was appointed as vice president of Darryl F. Zanuck Productions. He trained in film work assisting his famous father on "The Sun Also Rises" (1956) and "Islands in the Sun" (1957) before producing his first feature, "Compulsion" (1959), at age 24....

Filmography

Alice (Walt Disney Pictures) - ( Producer / 2010 / Announced / )
Believe It or Not! - ( Producer / 2009 / Announced / )
BODY AND SOUL (Zanuck) - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Get Low - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Journey to the Center of the Earth (Fox) - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Rain Delay - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Regression (Zanuck) - ( Producer / / Announced / )
The Ninth Man - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Yes Man - ( Producer / 2008 / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - ( Producer / 2007 / Released / )
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - ( Producer / 2005 / Released / )
The Last Mogul - ( Himself / 2004 / Released / )
Big Fish - ( Producer / 2003 / Released / )
Compulsion - ( Producer / 2003 / Released / )
Reign of Fire - ( Producer / 2002 / Released / )
Road to Perdition - ( Producer / 2002 / Released / )
Planet of the Apes - ( Producer / 2001 / Released / )
Rules of Engagement - ( Producer / 2000 / Released / Gaga Entertainment )
True Crime - ( Producer / 1999 / Released / )
Deep Impact - ( Producer / 1998 / Released / )
One - ( Producer / 1997 / Released / )
Chain Reaction - ( Executive Producer / 1996 / Released / )
Mulholland Falls - ( Producer / 1996 / Released / Scanbox Denmark )
Wild Bill - ( Producer / 1995 / Released / )
Clean Slate - ( Producer / 1994 / Released / )
Rich in Love - ( Producer / 1993 / Released / )
Rush - ( Producer / 1991 / Released / )
Driving Miss Daisy - ( Producer / 1989 / Released / Concorde Filmverleih GMBH )
Cocoon: the Return - ( Producer / 1988 / Released / )
Cocoon - ( Producer / 1985 / Released / )
Target - ( Producer / 1985 / Released / Hoyts Distribution )
The Verdict - ( Producer / 1982 / Released / )
Neighbors - ( Producer / 1981 / Released / )
The Island - ( Producer / 1980 / Released / )
Jaws 2 - ( Producer / 1978 / Released / )
MacArthur - ( Executive Producer / 1977 / Released / )
Jaws - ( Producer / 1975 / Released / )
The Eiger Sanction - ( Executive Producer / 1975 / Released / )
The Black Windmill - ( Executive Producer / 1974 / Released / )
The Girl From Petrovka - ( Producer / 1974 / Released / )
The Sugarland Express - ( Producer / 1974 / Released / )
Willie Dynamite - ( Producer / 1974 / Released / )
Ssssssss - ( Executive Producer / 1973 / Released / )
The Chapman Report - ( Producer / 1962 / Released / )
Sanctuary - ( Producer / 1961 / Released / Fox Films, Ltd. )
TV Credits
Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood ( 2001 / Released ): Actor
History Vs. Hollywood ( 2001 / Released ): Actor
History Vs. Hollywood ( 2001 / Released ): Actor
Planet of the Apes: Rule the Planet ( 2001 / Released ): Actor
20th Century Fox: The Blockbuster Years ( 2000 / Released ): Actor
72nd Annual Academy Awards Presentation ( 2000 / Released ): Producer
Countdown to Oscar 2000 ( 2000 / Released ): Executive Producer
Robert Redford: Hollywood Outlaw ( 2000 / Released ): Actor
Backstory ( 1999 / Released ): Actor
American Cinema ( 1995 / Released ): Actor
Driving Miss Daisy ( 1992 / Released ): Executive Producer
Naked Hollywood ( 1991 / Released ): Actor
The 63rd Annual Academy Awards Presentation ( 1991 / Released ): Actor
Barrington ( 1987 / Released ): Executive Producer
Full Biography (Back to top)

It would seem almost preordained that the son of legendary studio head Darryl F. Zanuck would pursue a career in the film industry. While still in college, Richard D Zanuck began working in the story department at 20th Century-Fox and immediately after graduating was appointed as vice president of Darryl F. Zanuck Productions. He trained in film work assisting his famous father on "The Sun Also Rises" (1956) and "Islands in the Sun" (1957) before producing his first feature, "Compulsion" (1959), at age 24. Zanuck followed with two uneven but fairly prestigious productions: "Sanctuary" (1961), based on the William Faulkner novel, and "The Chapman Report" (1964). By the time of the latter's release, though, he was ensconced in the executive suites of 20th Century-Fox. During his reign as head of production, the studio accumulated over 150 Oscar nominations, and released three Best Picture winners, "The Sound of Music" (1965), "Patton" (1970) and "The French Connection" (1971). Despite those successes, the company's continuing fiscal problems prompted his father to fire him in 1970. Zanuck moved on to other executive posts, harboring no ill will towards his sire, whom he lauds as "the best executive I ever worked for. He taught me everything." After serving briefly as senior executive vice president at Warner Bros., he formed the Zanuck/Brown Company with longtime associate David Brown in 1972.

The pair scored immediately with their first collaboration, the Oscar-winning Best Picture "The Sting" (1973), and then proved themselves remarkable judges of talent, breaking Steven Spielberg in as a feature director with "The Sugarland Express" (1974) and "Jaws" (1975, Oscar-nominated as Best Picture). They also produced "The Verdict" (1982, another Best Picture nominee) and "Cocoon" (1985, adding third wife Lili Finn Zanuck to the mix). Dissolving his partnership with Brown in 1988, he formed the Zanuck Company the following year. The first release under his new banner offered an auspicious start. With his wife, Zanuck produced the screen adaptation of Alfred Uhry's award-winning play "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), which was selected as the year's Best Picture by the Academy. Despite going their separate ways creatively, Brown and Zanuck remained close (Brown served as executive producer on "Miss Daisy"). Indeed, the pair reteamed to produce DreamWorks' blockbuster "Deep Impact" (1998) and they have spoken about working together again on yet another as yet unannounced, untitled DreamWorks' project. Zanuck, who produced his wife's directing debut "Rush" (1991), also shared producing responsibilities with her and Clint Eastwood on Eastwood's "True Crime" (1999).


Profession(s):
producer, executive
Sometimes Credited As:
Richard Darryl Zanuck
Richard Zanuck
Horizontal Line
Family
daughter:Janet Zanuck (born in September 1960; mother, Lili Gentle)
daughter:Virginia Zanuck (born in October 1959; mother, Lili Gentle)
father:Darryl F Zanuck (born on September 5, 1902; died on December 22, 1979)
sister:Darrylin Zanuck (older)
sister:Susan Marie Zanuck (born in August 1933)
son:Dean F Zanuck (born in August 1972; mother, Linda Harrison)
son:Harrison R Zanuck (born in February 1971; mother, Linda Harrison)
wife:Lili Fini Zanuck (born c. 1954; married on September 23, 1978)
wife:Lili Zanuck (mother of Zanuck's two oldest children; divorced)
wife:Linda Harrison (appeared in "Planet of the Apes"; married on October 26, 1969; mother of two of Zanuck's children; divorced)

Horizontal Line
Education
Harvard Military Academy Los Angeles, California 1952
Stanford University Stanford, California BA 1952
Awards (Back to top)
ShoWest Producer of the Year 2001
ShowEast Lifetime Achievement Award 1998
David O. Selznick Lifetime Achievement Award 1993
Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award 1990
Oscar Best Picture "Driving Miss Daisy" 1989
NATO Producer of the Year Award "Cocoon" 1985
NATO Producer of the Year Award 1974

Milestones (Back to top)
2003 Co-Produced "Big Fish" directed by Tim Burton; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Musical or Comedy Picture
2000 With wife, co-produced the annual telecast of the Academy Awards
2000 Signed production deal with DreamWorks
1999 With Lili Fini Zanuck and Clint Eastwood, produced the thriller "True Crime", directed by Eastwood
1998 Reunited with David Brown as producer on "Deep Impact", released through DreamWorks
1993 Reteamed with Beresford as producer of the family drama "Rich in Love"
1991 Produced wife's directorial debut, "Rush"
1989 Formed The Zanuck Company
1989 With Lili Fini Zanuck, formed The Zanuck Company
1989 First film released under new banner, "Driving Miss Daisy", directed by Bruce Beresford; received Best Picture Academy Award
1988 Dissolved partnership with David Brown
1985 Third wife Lili Fini Zanuck joined producing team on the box-office success "Cocoon"
1983 Zanuck/Brown Company based at Warner Bros.
1982 Earned second Best Picture Academy Award nomination as producer of Sidney Lumet's courtroom drama "The Verdict"
1975 Had box office blockbuster with Spielberg's "Jaws"; received first Best Picture Oscar nomination as producer
1974 Initial collaboration with Steven Spielberg, co-produced the director's debut feature "The Sugarland Express"
1973 First film in collaboration with Brown, "The Sting", won that year's Best Picture Oscar; with Brown, credited as executive producer of the film
1972 With David Brown. formed The Zanuck/Brown Company
1971 Became senior executive vice president at Warner Bros.; resigned in 1972 to become independent producer
1970 Fired as president by father
1969 Promoted to president of 20th Century-Fox
1962 Was assistant to his producer-father on "The Longest Day"
1959 Debuted as producer with "Compulsion"
1956 - 1962 Served as vice president of Darryl F Zanuck Productions with responsibilities for US operations; also worked as assistant to his father when the elder Zanuck produced "The Sun Also Rises" (1956) and "
1954 Began working in story department of 20th Century-Fox
Served in US Army as second lieutenant
Was president's production representative at 20th Century-Fox
Served as executive vice president in charge of production at Fox
Zanuck/Brown Company based at 20th Century-Fox


Advertisement