Death to Smoochy

"Get ready for an unexpected hit."

2002 1h 49m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 466

ComedyCrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Tells the story of Rainbow Randolph, the corrupt, costumed star of a popular children's TV show, who is fired over a bribery scandal and replaced by squeaky-clean Smoochy, a puffy fuchsia rhinoceros. As Smoochy catapults to fame - scoring hit ratings and the affections of a network executive - Randolph makes the unsuspecting rhino the target of his numerous outrageous attempts to exact revenge and reclaim his status as America's sweetheart.

“Get ready for an unexpected hit.”

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Cast

Robin Williams
Rainbow Randolph
Edward Norton
Sheldon Mopes / Smoochy
Catherine Keener
Nora Wells
Danny DeVito
Burke Bennett
Jon Stewart
Marion Frank Stokes
Pam Ferris
Tommy Cotter
Danny Woodburn
Angelo Pike
Michael Rispoli
Spinner Dunn

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Danny DeVito
Writers: Adam Resnick
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $55M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 15% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Danny DeVito, shot by Anastas N. Michos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jon Poll shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robin Williams and Edward Norton and Catherine Keener carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Danny DeVito directs. Anastas N. Michos behind the camera. David Newman scores. Jon Poll cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $55M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Earned back only 15% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 24 years ago.
4International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
5Directed by Danny DeVito, shot by Anastas N. Michos. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by David Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Jon Poll shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Robin Williams and Edward Norton and Catherine Keener carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Get ready for an unexpected hit.".
10IMDB entry: tt0266452 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 9 themes, including "corruption", "dark comedy", "success", "irish mob".

The technical file

Cinematography: Anastas N. Michos
Original score: David Newman
Editing: Jon Poll
Production design: Howard Cummings
Costume design: Jane Ruhm
Makeup / hair: Ve Neill
VFX supervisor: Jeffrey A. Okun
Sound: Skip Lievsay
Stunt coordinator: Jamie Jones
Runtime: 109 min · 1h 49m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $55,000,000
Box office: $8,400,000
Return: 15% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Death to Smoochy (2002)

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Danny DeVito

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What people are saying

Chandler Danier2026-02-23
★ 10/10
I hated Robin Williams because my mom liked him… even though I watched the hell out of Hook. It's a stupid reason not to like someone. But when Robin Williams has Doubtfire disease, he's easy to hate. He does say funny things and what he does is physically impressive. The more normal his hair becomes, the more I like him in this. His arc is beautiful. Traumatic and redeeming. I hated Ed Norton because he was a sexy hollywood actor and I wasn’t… even though I watched the hell out of Fight Club. It's a good reason not to like someone so fuck Ed Norton. Needless to say, I did not watch Death to Smoochy until just now. Danny Devito is great. The Italian mob are incredible. The sequence when they describe to Ed how it was handled is worth mentioning. Everyone really keeps a code of ethics on the good side. There is a lot of really good advice for children in this. Smoochy would be a positive influence. I really love how he confronts his realities without sugarcoating it for the children. Buggy Ding Dong!!! I laughed a bunch. There's some great stuff in here. The way they write in parts of the actors lives into the roles is…like…really good. This is really good. I think it suffers for the first 30 minutes but really comes together.

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