Richard Darryl Zanuck was born on 13 December 1934, in Los Angeles, California USA, a son of well-known actress Virginia Fox and studio executive and producer Darryl F. Zanuck who was a head of production at 20th Century Fox at the time. Richard Zanuck was a film producer, perhaps best known for the film “Driving Miss Daisy”, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1989. He passed away in July 2012.
So just how rich was Richard Zanuck? Authoritative sources estimate that Richard Zanuck’s net worth was an impressive $80 million, mostly accumulated from his career as a film producer spanning over 50 years.
Richard Zanuck Net Worth $80 Million
Richard Zanuck started his career while still studying at Stanford University; his first job was working at the department of 20th Century Fox film studios.He then had an opportunity to work on a film called “Compulsion”, and eventually became president of the company. However, after he failed with the film “Doctor Dolittle” in 1967, Zanuck was fired by his father, and went to join Warner Bros Company, where he took up the position of an Executive Vice-President.
In 1972, Zanuck together with his friend David Brown formed an independent film production organisation called “The Zanuck/Brown Company”, which was a subsidiary of Universal Pictures. They were soon able to produce “Jaws” and “The Sugarland Express” directed by Steven Spielberg, and also managed to succeed with “Cocoon” and “Driving Miss Daisy”, which won Zanuck an Academy Award for Best Picture. With more public recognition, Richard Zanuck’s net worth began increasing significantly.
Such was the success of the partnership and company, that in 1990 Richard Zanuck and David Brown were awarded the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award; joining other recipients of the same award including Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Clint Eastwood. Richard Zanuck soon became friends with another famous film director and producer Tim Burton, with whom he worked on some of his best movies, helping Burton create the science fiction film “Planet of the Apes” featuring Mark Wahlberg and Tim Roth, as well as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. His net worth continued to row.
Their further collaborations together resulted in the release of a musical horror film “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” that earned $152 million at the box office, as well as the fantasy film “Alice in Wonderland” that generated the remarkable amount of $1 billion in takings, becoming the sixteenth highest-grossing film of all time.
Richard Zanuck’s last works include the horror comedy film “Dark Shadows”, as well as the fantasy film with Angelina Jolie called “Maleficent” for which he received posthumous credit.
Richard Zanuck passed away in 2012 due to a heart attack. Zanuck’s house “Beverly Park” where he lived for the majority of his life was sold that same year for $20 million. Zanuck was married three times, his last wife being Lili Fini Zanuck who he married in 1978, and previously Lili Charlene Gentle(1959-69) with whom he had two children, and Linda Melson Harrison(1969-78), and another two children. His first two wives were actresses, which caused some discomfort in the family home, and contributed to their divorces.
Primetime Emmy Award - Outstanding Television Movie (2015), Golden Globe Award - Best Film (2011), Saturn Award - Best Horror Film (2007), Lifetime Achievement Award (2004), Academy Award for Best Picture, Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, Golden Globe Award for Be...
Nominations
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, BAFTA Award for Best Film, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, BAFTA Children's Award for Best Feature Film
Movies
"Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), “Dark Shadows” (2012), “Maleficent”, "Camerimage" (2009), “Planet of the Apes” (2001), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), "Alice in Wonderland" (2010), “Jaws”, “The Sugarland Express”, “Cocoon”, “Driving Miss Daisy”
TV Shows
Backstory
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Quote
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The Sound of Music (1965) did more damage to the industry than any other picture. Everyone tried to copy it. We were the biggest offenders.
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This is a business where you make decisions using your gut.
3
[about his father, studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck, being fired from his job] It was hard to see my father go through that. I recovered from being fired, I don't think he ever did.
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Fact
1
Ironically, both Richard D. Zanuck and his father Darryl F. Zanuck died at the age of 77 (in 2012 and 1979, respectively).
2
The commercial and critical failure of the expensively-produced musical extravaganzas, Doctor Dolittle (1967) and Star! (1968), led to him being ousted as head of production at 20th Century Fox in 1970.
3
Had his greatest successes as head of his own production company, in association with David Brown, turning out mega hits like The Sting (1973) and Jaws (1975).
4
Between 2001 and 2012, he collaborated on six films with director Tim Burton, beginning with the remake of Planet of the Apes (2001) and ending with Dark Shadows (2012).
5
In 1965 met producing partner David Brown during a stint at FOX.
6
Accompanied his father to the studio from an early age and assisted in reviewing rough cuts for studio executives.