Richard Darryl Zanuck (/ˈzænək/; December 13, 1934 – July 13, 2012) was an American film producer. His 1989 film Driving Miss Daisy won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He was also instrumental in launching the career of director Steven Spielberg, who described Zanuck as a "director's producer" and "one of the most honorable and loyal men of our profession."
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 13, 1934
- July 13, 2012 (aged 77)
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Producer, also actor
- 42 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
What are Richard D. Zanuck's films like?
Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 2 · Wry 1 · Earnest 37
A split, not a type: Light 11 · Serious 10 · Dark 19
A split, not a type: Grounded 20 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 8
Gentle 4 · Charged 18 · Intense 18
Steady 12 · Shifting 24 · Whiplash 4
Straight-faced 27 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 3
Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 31 · Relentless 2
Casual 12 · Engaged 23 · Full focus 5
Easy watch 12 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 13
Resolved 27 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy12
- Bittersweet18
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous5
- Cyclical1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Richard D. Zanuck's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 42 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Richard D. Zanuck's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
46 credits, 42 with a MovieCove page; 30 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Hidden(2015)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Bessie(2015)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Dark Shadows(2012)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Clash of the Titans(2010)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Alice in Wonderland(2010)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
SUGARLAND - Live at SoundStage 2009 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Yes Man(2008)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Big Fish(2003)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Road to Perdition(2002)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Reign of Fire(2002)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Planet of the Apes(2001)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Rules of Engagement(2000)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
True Crime(1999)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Deep Impact(1998)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Chain Reaction(1996)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Mulholland Falls(1996)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Wild Bill(1995)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
Clean Slate(1994)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
Rich in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)
Rush(1991)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Driving Miss Daisy(1989)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Cocoon: The Return(1988)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Target(1985)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Cocoon(1985)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Verdict(1982)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Neighbors(1981)
Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
The Island(1980)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Jaws 2(1978)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
MacArthur(1977)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Jaws(1975)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Eiger Sanction(1975)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
The Girl from Petrovka(1974)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
The Black Windmill(1974)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Sugarland Express(1974)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Willie Dynamite(1974)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Sting(1973)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Sssssss(1973)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Tora! Tora! Tora!(1970)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Patton(1970)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Sound of Music(1965)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
The Chapman Report(1962)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Sanctuary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Compulsion(1959)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
The Oscars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)
Career shape
A full career of 46 titles from 1953 to 2015.
Biggest box office
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Highest rated
The Sting (1973)
Most popular right now
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Richard D. Zanuck's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 42; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 55th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up11
- 50th to 74th13
- 25th to 49th14
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
16 of their 42 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved8
- Crowd Pleaser16
- Broadly Agreed12
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the acting 72/100 in their films, across 39 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Richard D. Zanuck's work okay for kids?
Across up to 31 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Richard D. Zanuck work with?
People who share at least 2 of Richard D. Zanuck's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; David Brown shares the most, 18.
Directors
- Tim BurtonShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001)See all 6 shared titles with Tim Burton
- Steven SpielbergShared titles: Deep Impact (1998), Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1993), Jaws (1975), The Sugarland Express (1974)See all 4 shared titles with Steven Spielberg
- Clint EastwoodShared titles: True Crime (1999), Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1993), The Eiger Sanction (1975)See all 3 shared titles with Clint Eastwood
Writers
- John AugustShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003)See all 3 shared titles with John August
- Peter DexterShared titles: Mulholland Falls (1996), Wild Bill (1995), Rush (1991)See all 3 shared titles with Peter Dexter
- Peter BenchleyShared titles: The Island (1980), Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws (1975)See all 3 shared titles with Peter Benchley
- David SapersteinShared titles: Cocoon: The Return (1988), Cocoon (1985)See all 2 shared titles with David Saperstein
Actors
- Helena Bonham CarterShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001)See all 6 shared titles with Helena Bonham Carter
- Johnny DeppShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)See all 4 shared titles with Johnny Depp
- Paul NewmanShared titles: Road to Perdition (2002), The Verdict (1982), The Sting (1973)See all 3 shared titles with Paul Newman
- Morgan FreemanShared titles: Deep Impact (1998), Chain Reaction (1996), Driving Miss Daisy (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Morgan Freeman
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Chris LebenzonShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001)See all 6 shared titles with Chris Lebenzon
- Danny ElfmanShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001)See all 5 shared titles with Danny Elfman
- John WilliamsShared titles: Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws (1975), The Eiger Sanction (1975), The Sugarland Express (1974)See all 4 shared titles with John Williams
- Philippe RousselotShared titles: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003), Planet of the Apes (2001)See all 3 shared titles with Philippe Rousselot
Producers
- David BrownShared titles: Deep Impact (1998), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Cocoon (1985), Target (1985), The Verdict (1982), Neighbors (1981), The Island (1980), Jaws 2 (1978), MacArthur (1977), Jaws (1975), The Eiger Sanction (1975) and 6 moreSee newest 12 of 18 shared titles with David Brown
- Lili Fini ZanuckShared titles: Bessie (2015), Reign of Fire (2002), True Crime (1999), Mulholland Falls (1996), Wild Bill (1995), Clean Slate (1994), Rush (1991), Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Cocoon: The Return (1988), Cocoon (1985)See all 10 shared titles with Lili Fini Zanuck
- Katterli FrauenfelderShared titles: Hidden (2015), Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Big Fish (2003)See all 6 shared titles with Katterli Frauenfelder
- Derek FreyShared titles: Dark Shadows (2012), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)See all 4 shared titles with Derek Frey
