Lili Fini Zanuck ( Fini; born April 2, 1954) is an American film producer and director.

Personal life

She was married to

Richard D. Zanuck Richard Darryl Zanuck (December 13, 1934 – July 13, 2012) was an American film producer. His 1989 film ''Driving Miss Daisy'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Zanuck was also instrumental in launching the career of director Steven Spielb ...

from 1978 until his death in 2012.

Career

Zanuck's first film with a producing title was the 1985 critical and commercial hit Cocoon which went on to win 2 Academy Awards and earned the Zanucks and David Brown the title Producer of the Year by the National Association of Theatre Owners. Lili also oversaw the sequel Cocoon: The Return in 1988. In 1988, Zanuck and her husband formed The Zanuck Company. The first film they produced was '' Driving Miss Daisy'' which went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, as well as winning Best Picture of the Year (Best Musical or Comedy) by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the National Board of Review. The Zanucks were named Producer of the Year by the Producers Guild of America. Internationally, the film won two Golden Bears at the

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

and was nominated for Best Picture by the British Film Academy. ''Driving Miss Daisy'' was a financial success, grossing more than $100 million and ranks as one of the most profitable films in Warner Bros. history. Zanuck directed the 1991 feature film ''

Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...

'' starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Patric. The film notably featured the hit song " Tears in Heaven" by

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

, who also composed the score for the picture. For television, she directed an episode of HBO's From the Earth to the Moon, and three episodes of NBC's six hour event series

Revelations Revelation, in religion and theology, is the act of revealing through communication with supernatural entities. Revelation(s) may also refer to: * Book of Revelation or simply Revelation, the last book of the New Testament * Revelation (Latter Da ...

starring Bill Pullman. Zanuck has also co-produced a number of films including ''

Mulholland Falls ''Mulholland Falls'' is a 1996 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori, written by Pete Dexter, and starring an ensemble cast featuring Nick Nolte, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Melanie ...

'', '' True Crime'' and '' Reign of Fire''. In March 2000, Zanuck co-produced the 72nd Academy Awards with her husband. In May 2015, Zanuck executive produced and directed ''

Bessie Bessie is a feminine given name, often a diminutive form (hypocorism) of Elizabeth, Beatrice and other names since the 16th century. It is sometimes a name in its own right. Notable people with the name include: People *Bessie Abott (1878-191 ...

'' which premiered on HBO. She developed the project for over 22 years which was met with critical acclaim, receiving twelve 2016 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Bessie won the 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie and the 2015 Critics Choice Television Award for Best Movie. Most recently Zanuck directed the documentary ''Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars'' which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2017 before airing on SHOWTIME in February 2018. The film and Zanuck were Grammy nominated in the category of Best Music Film. Zanuck has also directed television programs and music videos, including Faith Hill's "Breathe", which won the

Academy of Country Music Award The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, sta ...

for Video of the Year in 1999.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zanuck, Lili Fini Living people 1954 births American film directors American film producers American women film producers Golden Globe Award-winning producers Primetime Emmy Award winners Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award 21st-century American women