ImageMovers

On March 1, 1984, Robert Zemeckis incorporated and founded the company as South Side Amusement Company. The company was in-name only from the beginning.

In the early 1990s, Zemeckis signed a production deal with Universal Pictures, to release films under the South Side Amusement Company banner. There, it is one of the producers of Death Becomes Her, Trespass, The Public Eye, The Frighteners and Contact.

In 1997, it was announced that South Side Amusement Company was rebranded as ImageMovers, and hired Creative Artists Agency employee Jack Rapke and producer Steve Starkey (who was a producer on Zemeckis's films since his stint as associate producer on 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit) came on board to join the company. It was also announced that ImageMovers signed a non-exclusive feature film deal with DreamWorks Pictures.{{Cite web|last=Busch|first=Anita M.|date=1997-06-18|title=Zemeckis, Rapke wrap up DreamWorks deal|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/zemeckis-rapke-wrap-up-dreamworks-deal-1116679407/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Variety|language=en}}

In 2001, ImageMovers tried to sign a deal with Warner Bros., but they ultimately failed.{{Cite news|first1=Claude|last1=Brodesser|first2=Dade|last2=Hayes|date=2001-12-28|title=Zemeckis migrates to Warner|url=https://variety.com/2001/film/news/zemeckis-migrates-to-warner-1117857803/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Variety|language=en}} After the Warner Bros. deal collapsed, ImageMovers reupped a first-look deal with DreamWorks to produce more films from that time.{{Cite web|last1=Fleming|first1=Michael|first2=Dade|last2= Hayes|date=2002-04-19|title=Imagemovers stands its ground|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/imagemovers-stands-its-ground-1117865685/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Variety|language=en}}{{Cite web|last1=Hayes|first2=Michael|last2= Fleming|first1=Dade|date=2002-04-21|title=Inside Move: Zemeckis shingle gets new run|url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/inside-move-zemeckis-shingle-gets-new-run-1117865715/|access-date=2020-07-01|website=Variety|language=en}}

ImageMovers's first eight films under the name were What Lies Beneath (with Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer), Cast Away (with Tom Hanks), Matchstick Men (with Nicolas Cage), The Polar Express (also with Tom Hanks), The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (with Julianne Moore), Last Holiday (with Queen Latifah), Monster House (with Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner, Spencer Locke, and Steve Buscemi), and Beowulf (with Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, and Angelina Jolie).

{{Infobox company

| name = ImageMovers Digital

| logo = ImageMovers Digital logo.svg

| type = Joint venture

| founded = {{start date and age|2007}}

| founders = Robert Zemeckis

| defunct = {{end date and age|2011}}

| location = Novato, California, U.S.

| key_people = Robert Zemeckis

| owners = ImageMovers
The Walt Disney Company

| num_employees = 450

| parent =

}}

In 2007, ImageMovers and The Walt Disney Company set up a joint venture animation facility known as ImageMovers Digital, based in Marin County-based film company where Zemeckis would produce and direct 3D animated films using CGI performance-capture technology.{{cite news | work=Reuters | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0545679120070206 | title=Disney, "Polar Express" director in animation deal | publisher=Reuters | date=February 5, 2007 | access-date=November 21, 2010}}

On November 6, 2009, ImageMovers Digital released their first CGI film A Christmas Carol, a CGI performance capture film based on the Charles Dickens book of the same name and starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Cary Elwes. On March 12, 2010, Disney and ImageMovers announced that ImageMovers Digital would close operations by January 2011 after movie production on Mars Needs Moms was completed. Resulting in a lay-off of approximately 450 employees,{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2010-mar-13-la-fi-ct-disney13-2010mar13-story.html|title=Disney to shut ImageMovers Digital studio|last=Eller|first=Claudia|date=2010-03-13|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2017-12-11|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}} Walt Disney Studios president Alan Bergman said, "...given today's economic realities, we need to find alternative ways to bring creative content to audiences and IMD no longer fits into our business model."{{cite news | first=Nikki | last=Finke | url=https://deadline.com/2010/03/disney-closing-zemeckis-digital-studio-in-2011-28214/ | title=Disney Closing Zemeckis' Digital Studio | website=Deadline Hollywood | date=March 12, 2010 | access-date=November 21, 2010}} The company had previously been reported to have Calling All Robots,{{cite news | last=Graser | first=Marc | url=https://variety.com/2008/digital/markets-festivals/michael-dougherty-calls-all-robots-1117982959/ | title=Michael Dougherty calls 'All Robots' | publisher=Variety| date=March 26, 2008 | access-date=July 5, 2011}} a remake of Yellow Submarine,{{cite news | author=The Walt Disney Studios | url=http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=265621 | title=The Walt Disney Studios, The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd., and Oscar(R)-Winning Filmmaker Robert Zemeckis Dive Into New Magical 3D Adaptation of the 1968 Classic Yellow Submarine | publisher=PR Newswire | date=September 11, 2009 | access-date=November 21, 2010}} a Roger Rabbit sequel{{cite web | first=Eric | last=Ditzian | url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/11/03/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-indicates-hell-use-performance-capture-and-3-d-in-roger-rabbit-sequel/ | title=EXCLUSIVE: Robert Zemeckis Indicates He'll Use Performance-Capture And 3-D In 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel | publisher=MTV | date=November 3, 2009 | access-date=November 21, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103072903/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/11/03/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-indicates-hell-use-performance-capture-and-3-d-in-roger-rabbit-sequel/ | archive-date=November 3, 2010 | df=mdy-all }} and The Nutcracker{{cite news | first=Dustin | last=Rowles | url=http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/robert-zemeckis-to-direct-the-nutcracker.php | title=Robert Zemeckis to Uglimate The Nutcracker | publisher=Pajiba.com | date=November 11, 2009 | access-date=November 21, 2010 | archive-date=July 19, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719034729/http://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/robert-zemeckis-to-direct-the-nutcracker.php | url-status=dead }} in development. Disney dropped all of these projects following the box-office failure of Mars Needs Moms.{{cite news|last=Kit|first=Borys|title=Disney torpedoes Zemeckis' "Yellow Submarine"|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yellowsubmarine-idUSTRE72E0ED20110315|access-date=December 12, 2011|newspaper=Reuters|date=March 14, 2011}}

In August 2011, it was announced that ImageMovers has entered a two-year first-look producing deal with Universal Pictures.{{cite news|last=Fleming|first=Mike|title=Universal Makes Two-Year Deal With Robert Zemeckis' ImageMovers|url=https://deadline.com/2011/08/universal-makes-two-year-deal-with-robert-zemeckis-imagemovers-152878/|access-date=December 12, 2011|newspaper=Deadline|date=August 2, 2011}}

{{Clear}}

ImageMovers's first foray into television production was The Borgias, which aired on Showtime from 2011 to 2013. On August 25, 2016, Compari Entertainment, the company's television division, was founded, with NBC's Manifest, which premiered on September 24, 2018, as their first television series.{{Cite web|url=https://trademarks.justia.com/871/50/compari-87150678.html|title = COMPARI ENTERTAINMENT Trademark of ImageMovers, L.L.C. – Registration Number 5649739 – Serial Number 87150678 :: Justia Trademarks}}

This motion capture remake of the 1968 Beatles film was developed by Robert Zemeckis. Disney canceled the project due to the box office failure of the Zemeckis-produced motion capture film Mars Needs Moms and aesthetic concerns about the technology.{{cite news |last=Kit |first=Borys |date=March 14, 2011 |title=Disney torpedoes Zemeckis' "Yellow Submarine" |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yellowsubmarine-idUSTRE72E0ED20110315 |via=Reuters}} After its cancellation at Disney, Zemeckis then tried to pitch the film to other studios, before eventually losing interest in the project.{{cite web |last1=Han |first1=Angie |date=December 27, 2012 |title=Robert Zemeckis Gives Up On the 'Yellow Submarine' Remake |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/robert-zemeckis-gives-up-on-the-yellow-submarine-remake/ |access-date=December 3, 2017 |website=/Film}}

On March 26, 2008, Michael Dougherty was set to direct the animated sci-fi adventure film Calling All Robots with Zemeckis producing the film through ImageMovers Digital for Walt Disney Pictures.{{cite news |last=Graser |first=Marc |date=March 26, 2008 |title=Michael Dougherty calls ‘All Robots’ |website=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2008/digital/markets-festivals/michael-dougherty-calls-all-robots-1117982959/ |access-date=October 15, 2021}}

In December 2007, Marshall stated that he was still "open" to the idea,{{cite news |author=Shawn Adler |date=September 11, 2007 |title=Roger Rabbit Sequel Still In The Offing? Stay Tooned, Says Producer |work=MTV Movies Blog |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/movies//2007/12/11/roger-rabbit-sequel-still-in-the-offing-stay-tooned-says-producer/ |url-status=dead |access-date=November 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017173326/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/12/11/roger-rabbit-sequel-still-in-the-offing-stay-tooned-says-producer/ |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |df=mdy-all}} and in April 2009, Zemeckis revealed he was still interested.{{cite news |author=Eric Ditzian |date=April 29, 2009 |title=Robert Zemeckis 'Buzzing' About Second 'Roger Rabbit' Movie |work=MTV Movies Blog |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/movies//2009/04/29/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-buzzing-about-second-roger-rabbit-movie/ |url-status=dead |access-date=April 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627064600/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/04/29/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-buzzing-about-second-roger-rabbit-movie |archive-date=June 27, 2012}} According to a 2009 MTV News story, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman were writing a new script for the project, and the animated characters would be in traditional two-dimensional, while the rest would be in motion capture.{{cite web |title=EXCLUSIVE: Robert Zemeckis Indicates He'll Use Performance-Capture And 3-D In 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/movies//2009/11/03/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-indicates-hell-use-performance-capture-and-3-d-in-roger-rabbit-sequel/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101103072903/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/11/03/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-indicates-hell-use-performance-capture-and-3-d-in-roger-rabbit-sequel/ |archive-date=November 3, 2010 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |publisher=Moviesblog.mtv.com}} However, in 2010, Zemeckis said that the sequel would remain hand-drawn animated and live-action sequences will be filmed, just like in the original film, but the lighting effects on the cartoon characters and some of the props that the toons handle will be done digitally.{{cite web |date=July 20, 2010 |title=Toontown Antics – Roger Rabbit's adventures in real and animated life: Roger Rabbit 2 – In 3D? |url=http://toontownantics.blogspot.com/2010/07/roger-rabbit-2-in-3d.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003162428/http://toontownantics.blogspot.com/2010/07/roger-rabbit-2-in-3d.html |archive-date=October 3, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |publisher=Toontownantics.blogspot.com}} Also in 2010, Hahn, who was the film's original associate producer, confirmed the sequel's development in an interview with Empire. He stated, "Yeah, I couldn't possibly comment. I deny completely, but yeah... if you're a fan, pretty soon you're going to be very, very, very happy."{{cite web |title=Exclusive: The Lion King To Go 3D! | Movie News |url=https://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28191 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021034315/http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28191 |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |work=Empire |publisher=Empireonline.com}} In 2010, Bob Hoskins stated he was interested in the project, reprising his role as Eddie Valiant.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} However, he retired from acting in 2012 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a year earlier, and died from pneumonia in 2014.{{cite web |date=August 8, 2012 |title=Bob Hoskins retires from acting |url=https://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-08-08/bob-hoskins-retires-from-acting/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123334/http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-08-08/bob-hoskins-retires-from-acting/ |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |access-date=August 24, 2014 |publisher=Itv.com}} Marshall confirmed that the film would be a prequel, similar to earlier drafts, and that the writing was almost complete.{{cite web |title=Frank Marshall Talks WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT 2 Sequel, THE BOURNE LEGACY, THE GOONIES 2, More |url=https://collider.com/frank-marshall-roger-rabbit-2-sequel-bourne-legacy/187006/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011065805/http://collider.com/frank-marshall-roger-rabbit-2-sequel-bourne-legacy/187006 |archive-date=October 11, 2012 |access-date=October 18, 2012 |website=Collider}} During an interview at the premiere of Flight, Zemeckis stated that the sequel was still possible, despite Hoskins' absence, and the script for the sequel was sent to Disney for approval from studio executives.{{cite web |last=Fischer |first=Russ |date=October 15, 2012 |title=Despite Bob Hoskins' Retirement, the 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel is Still Possible |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/despite-bob-hoskins-retirement-the-roger-rabbit-sequel-is-still-possible/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017234155/http://www.slashfilm.com/despite-bob-hoskins-retirement-the-roger-rabbit-sequel-is-still-possible/ |archive-date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=October 16, 2012 |publisher=/Film}}

On November 26, 2009, Zemeckis had signed on to produce and direct the motion capture animated film adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker through ImageMovers Digital for Walt Disney Pictures.{{cite news |last=Rowles |first=Dustin |date=November 26, 2009 |title=Robert Zemeckis to Uglimate The Nutcracker |website=Pajiba |url=https://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/robert-zemeckis-to-direct-the-nutcracker.php |access-date=October 15, 2021 |archive-date=October 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015213625/https://www.pajiba.com/trade_news/robert-zemeckis-to-direct-the-nutcracker.php |url-status=dead }} On July 21, 2016, Universal Pictures revived the adaptation, which may or may not use motion capture, with Zemeckis only set to produce the film and Evan Spiliotopoulos was hired to write the script.{{cite news |last=Rowles |first=Dustin |date=July 21, 2016 |title=Evan Spiliotopoulos Tapped To Write "The Nutcracker" For Robert Zemeckis And Universal (EXCLUSIVE) |website=The Tracking Broad |url=https://www.tracking-board.com/evan-spiliotopoulos-tapped-to-write-the-nutcracker-for-robert-zemeckis-and-universal-exclusive/ |access-date=October 15, 2021}} There has been no information since.

On April 14, 2011, Zemeckis had signed on to produce and potentially direct the live-action/animated hybrid film adaptation of Chuck Sambuchino's book How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack along with The Gotham Group and Sony Pictures Animation.{{cite news |last=Snieder |first=Jeff |date=April 14, 2011 |title=Sony Animation, Zemeckis dig ‘Gnome' |magazine=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2011/digital/news/sony-animation-zemeckis-dig-gnome-1118035468/ |access-date=September 21, 2021}} In November that year, Chad Damiani and JP Lavin were hired to write the script.{{cite news |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=November 7, 2011 |title=Robert Zemeckis Sets Writers For 'Garden Gnome Attack' Film |website=Deadline Hollywood |url=https://deadline.com/2011/11/robert-zemeckis-sets-writers-for-garden-gnome-attack-animated-film-191896/ |access-date=September 21, 2021}}

On October 29, 2019, at the HBO Max launch event, it was announced that a live-action/animated hybrid TV series featuring Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera characters to be produced by Warner Bros. Animation, the series was in development after it was announced as Tooned Out, to be released on the then upcoming WarnerMedia streaming service. Zemeckis teamed up with Jared Stern to write the series.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/hbo-max-looney-tunes-jellystone-the-fungies-tig-n-seek-kids-family-series-1202771895/|title=HBO Max Sets New Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Robert Zemeckis Hybrid Series 'Tooned Out', More for Kids & Family Slate|date=October 29, 2019}} There have been no new updates as of 2025.

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Category:1984 establishments in California

Category:American companies established in 1984

Category:Cinema of the San Francisco Bay Area

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Category:Entertainment companies based in California

Category:Film production companies of the United States

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Category:Mass media companies established in 1984

Category:Novato, California