© 2026 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'Sweeney Todd' Producer Richard Zanuck

Richard Zanuck has produced an impressive list of hits, and a number of flops, as well — including a string of musical disasters that got him fired by his own father.
Gareth Cattermole
/
Getty Images
Richard Zanuck has produced an impressive list of hits, and a number of flops, as well — including a string of musical disasters that got him fired by his own father.

Richard Zanuck grew up on movies — literally. The son of legendary producer Darryl F. Zanuck, who founded and ran Twentieth Century Fox studios in Hollywood's golden era, he became an Oscar-winning producer himself. His latest project: Sweeney Todd, the big-screen version of the legendary Stephen Sondheim musical.

Zanuck's credits include Driving Miss Daisy, Jaws, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Verdict Rules of Engagement, and many more. Besides which, "I can mention a lot of pictures I'm unhappy about," he tells Terry Gross.

Zanuck also ran Twentieth Century Fox for a short time; he talks with Terry Gross about growing up on the studio lot, about working with Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton on Sweeney, and about why Steve McQueen didn't end up starring in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Copyright 2022 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

Tags
Recent cuts to federal funding are challenging our mission to serve central and upstate New York with trusted journalism, vital local coverage, and the diverse programming that informs and connects our communities. This is the moment to join our community of supporters and help keep journalists on the ground, asking hard questions that matter to our region.

Stand with public media and make your gift today—not just for yourself, but for all who depend on WRVO as a trusted resource and civic cornerstone in central and upstate New York.