DAVID ZUCKER kicked off movie audience’s love affair with the spoof genre by creating such classic comedy hits as "Airplane," "Top Secret," and the "Naked Gun" movies, acting as writer, director and producer on some of the most successful and memorable films of recent years.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Zucker, his brother Jerry and school friend Jim Abrahams rented the back of a Madison bookstore and created their own comedy troupe, Kentucky Fried Theater, a multi-media show that combined live improvisations with videotaped and filmed sketches. In 1972, they moved to Los Angeles and opened a new Kentucky Fried Theater, which soon attracted critical acclaim and a devoted following. In five years, they performed to more than 150,000 patrons and became the most successful small theater group in Los Angeles history.
In 1977, the team of "ZAZ" released their first movie, "Kentucky Fried Movie,” which quickly developed a following. Their next project, the disaster-film parody "Airplane!" changed the comedy film landscape, became the surprise hit of 1980, and launched the trio on a streak of successful movies and TV shows, including the Emmy nominated "Police Squad, "Top Secret" and "Ruthless People," one of the top grossing films of 1986.
Zucker then ventured out on his own with "The Naked Gun.” Based on the “Police Squad” television series and starring Leslie Nielsen reprising his role as Lt. Frank Drebin, the zany, gag-filled comedy led to further box-office success. The l991 follow-up, "The Naked Gun 2 1/2 : The Smell of Fear," surpassed the original at the box office. "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" remains one of the top ten box office hits of 1994. Zucker also co-produced "A Walk in the Clouds" in 1995 starring Keanu Reeves, and "High School High" in 1997.
Most recently, David Zucker produced the thriller “Phone Booth,” directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Colin Farrel and Kiefer Sutherland. His forthcoming films include a return to spoofs with “Scary Movie 3.”
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