RIP: Richard D. Zanuck (1934-2012)
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/producer-richard-d-zanuck-dies-77-203125465.html
Richard D. Zanuck, the producer of "Jaws" and "Driving Miss Daisy," died Friday in Los Angeles, a spokeswoman for his production company told TheWrap. He was 77.
The cause of death was a heart attack.
The son of famed 20th Century Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck, he would make his own indelible mark on the movie business by championing a then-unknown director named Steven Spielberg.
Their 1975 adaptation of Peter Benchley's pulpy novel about a killer shark terrorizing a beach town would usher in a new era of summer blockbusters and fundamentally alter the type of movies that the industry makes. The DNA of "Jaws," which at the time was the highest grossing movie in history, can still be detected in such recent tentpole hits like "The Avengers" and "Avatar," cinematic spectacles that entice audiences through a combination of special effects and easily digestible plots.
Although best known as one of the foremost movie producers in Hollywood, he would also enjoy stints as a top executive at Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, where he helped oversee such classic pictures as "The Exorcist" and "The Sound of Music."
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/producer-richard-d-zanuck-dies-77-203125465.html
Richard D. Zanuck, the producer of "Jaws" and "Driving Miss Daisy," died Friday in Los Angeles, a spokeswoman for his production company told TheWrap. He was 77.
The cause of death was a heart attack.
The son of famed 20th Century Fox head Darryl F. Zanuck, he would make his own indelible mark on the movie business by championing a then-unknown director named Steven Spielberg.
Their 1975 adaptation of Peter Benchley's pulpy novel about a killer shark terrorizing a beach town would usher in a new era of summer blockbusters and fundamentally alter the type of movies that the industry makes. The DNA of "Jaws," which at the time was the highest grossing movie in history, can still be detected in such recent tentpole hits like "The Avengers" and "Avatar," cinematic spectacles that entice audiences through a combination of special effects and easily digestible plots.
Although best known as one of the foremost movie producers in Hollywood, he would also enjoy stints as a top executive at Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox, where he helped oversee such classic pictures as "The Exorcist" and "The Sound of Music."
