Ruthless People

Ruthless People
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJim Abrahams
David Zucker
Jerry Zucker
Written byDale Launer
Produced byMichael Peyser
Starring
CinematographyJan de Bont
Edited byGib Jaffe
Arthur Schmidt
Music byMichel Colombier
Charlie Midnight
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Distribution
Release date
  • June 27, 1986 (1986-06-27)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$9-13 million[1][2]
Box office$71.6 million[3]

Ruthless People is a 1986 American black comedy film directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and written by Dale Launer. It stars Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Anita Morris, and Helen Slater, with Bill Pullman in a supporting role in his film debut. The film is the story of a couple who kidnap their ex-boss's wife to get revenge and extort money from him. They soon realize he does not want her back and was planning to kill her himself. Meanwhile, the boss's mistress plans a blackmail attempt on him, which also fails to go as planned.

The film was a critical and commercial success. This was the last film released under the Touchstone Films label before Walt Disney Studios changed the name of the label to Touchstone Pictures as well as the last film directed by the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker trio together.

  1. ^ "Ruthless People". PowerGrid. The Wrap. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  2. ^ Ruthless People at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
  3. ^ Ruthless People at Box Office Mojo