Robert Zemeckis

Directing

Robert Zemeckis

Born 1951-05-14 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

Robert Lee Zemeckis (born May 14, 1952) is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential movies. He often blends cutting-edge visual effects with storytelling. He has received several accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for five British Academy Film Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award. Zemeckis started his career directing the comedy films I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Used Cars (1980), and Romancing the Stone (1984). He gained prominence directing the science-fiction comedy Back to the Future trilogy (1985–1990), the fantasy comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and the comedy-drama Forrest Gump (1994), the latter of which won Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. He has also directed the satirical black comedy Death Becomes Her (1992), the science fiction film Contact (1997), and the drama films Cast Away (2000), Flight (2012), The Walk (2015), and Allied (2016). His exploration of motion capture techniques can be seen in the animated films The Polar Express (2004) and A Christmas Carol (2009), as well as the action fantasy drama Beowulf (2007) and the drama Welcome to Marwen (2018). He has collaborated with film composer Alan Silvestri since 1984 and directed Tom Hanks in five films. Description above from the Wikipedia article Robert Zemeckis, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Spielberg poster
7.5

A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Spielberg

2017

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story poster
7.5

The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors alongside Steven Spielberg, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the film uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

2025

Citizen Steve poster
6.0

On the occasion of the 40th birthday of the almighty filmmaker Steven Allan Spielberg, inquisitive reporter Clip Maxwell attempts to uncover the truth behind his undisputed rise to the throne of the Amblin Empire.

Citizen Steve

1987

Waking Sleeping Beauty poster
7.2

By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovate and old timers not yet ready to relinquish control. These conditions produced a series of box-office flops and pessimistic forecasts: maybe the best days of animation were over. Maybe the public didn't care. Only a miracle or a magic spell could produce a happy ending. Waking Sleeping Beauty is no fairy tale. It's the true story of how Disney regained its magic with a staggering output of hits - "Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast ," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and more - over a 10-year period.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

2009

Back in Time poster
6.5

Cast, crew and fans explore the "Back to the Future" time-travel trilogy's resonance throughout our culture, thirty years after Marty McFly went back in time.

Back in Time

2015

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing poster
7.0

Documentary about the art of film editing. Clips are shown from many groundbreaking films with innovative editing styles.

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

2004

Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town poster
5.7

A behind-the-scenes documentary hosted by Joanna Cassidy on the making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Roger Rabbit and the Secrets of Toon Town

1988

A Future on Stage poster
NR

A documentary on the making of the Broadway and West End musical stage adaptation of Back to the Future.

A Future on Stage

2025

Tom Hanks: The Nomad poster
5.5

From humble beginnings to an aspiring thespian to acting as some of the world's most iconic and notable characters. He has picked up a reputation as 'America's Nice Guy', 'The Everyman' and a nomad of the arts. But we all know him... as Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks: The Nomad

2023

Milius poster
7.1

The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.

Milius

2013

Back To the Present: The Special poster
7.3

Robert Zemeckis's Back To The Future was a huge box-office hit in 1985 that ultimately led to two sequels. In 1989, in Back To The Future Part II, Michael J. Fox aka Marty Mc Fly and Christopher Lloyd aka DOC, travel into the future to October 21st 2015. At the time, the movie's crazy inventions seemed far from achievable but little did we know they would actually be so close to reality!

Back To the Present: The Special

2015

Tales from the Future poster
6.2

Eight-part retrospective documentary on the making of "Back to the Future" (and its two sequels) for the film's 25th anniversary.

Tales from the Future

2010

Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump poster
7.5

A look behind the scenes of Robert Zemeckis' 1994 Oscar-winning film, 'Forrest Gump'.

Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump

1994

First Works poster
7.0

It's a mixed bag in the age of illuminating DVD supplements, but First Works effectively demonstrates the early promise of 13 successful filmmakers. Culled from programs originally broadcast on Showtime in 1990, this crude compilation combines student films, early professional work, and interviews with now-famous directors at various stages of commercial and artistic achievement.

First Works

1989

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic poster
7.8

The incredible evolution of George Lucas' special effects dream factory, including an inside look at "Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace."

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic

1999

Persistence of Vision poster
8.0

It was to be the greatest animated film of all time. Not just an eye-opener, but a game-changer. Richard Williams demanded nothing less, investing nearly three decades into his movie masterpiece. From as early as 1964 he ploughed most of the profits right back into his pet project, a feature inspired by the Arabian Nights and provisionally known as Mullah Nasruddin. He assembled a team of inspired young artists—and brought in the best Hollywood craftsmen to teach them—and devised what would be the most elaborate, kaleidoscopic, mind-boggling visual sequences ever committed to celluloid. Years passed. Potential financiers came and went. Work continued. But it was only after Roger Rabbit that Williams had a studio budget to corroborate the munificence of his imagination.

Persistence of Vision

2012

The Making of '1941' poster
6.7

A non-narrated documentary, told mainly in interviews with the filmmakers, on the making of the cult comedy classic, featuring outtakes, rare behind-the-scenes home movies, and trivia facts.

The Making of '1941'

1996

The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy poster
5.0

The Secrets of the Back to the Future Trilogy was a program hosted by Kirk Cameron. The show answered questions that Back to the Future fans sent in by letter. It was released onto videocassette in 1990 and as a bonus feature on the disc for Back to the Future Part III in the 2002 release of the Back to the Future trilogy. It is also available in the 2010 Blu-Ray trilogy.

The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy

1990

Looking Back to the Future poster
6.6

A 9-part retrospective documentary from 2009 on the trilogy’s legacy.

Looking Back to the Future

2009

The Making of 'The Frighteners' poster
8.5

Documentary about the making of the 1996 horror-comedy.

The Making of 'The Frighteners'

1998

The Making of Back to the Future poster
7.6

The Making of 'Back to the Future'

The Making of Back to the Future

1986

Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit poster
7.3

The complete documentary on the production of the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".

Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit

2003

You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath poster
NR

A feature-length retrospective documentary on the making of “What Lies Beneath.”

You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath

2025

Brian May's Brief History of 3D poster
7.0

A look into the history of 3D by Brian May from Queen.

Brian May's Brief History of 3D

2011

Behind the camera

Forrest Gump poster
8.5

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

Forrest Gump

1994

Back to the Future poster
8.3

Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents' romance and - with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown - return to 1985.

Back to the Future

1985

Back to the Future poster
8.3

Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents' romance and - with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown - return to 1985.

Back to the Future

1985

Back to the Future Part III poster
7.5

The final installment finds Marty digging the trusty DeLorean out of a mineshaft and looking for Doc in the Wild West of 1885. But when their time machine breaks down, the travelers are stranded in a land of spurs. More problems arise when Doc falls for pretty schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and Marty tangles with Buford Tannen.

Back to the Future Part III

1990

Back to the Future Part II poster
7.8

Marty and Doc are at it again as the time-traveling duo head to 2015 to nip some McFly family woes in the bud. But things go awry thanks to bully Biff Tannen and a pesky sports almanac. In a last-ditch attempt to set things straight, Marty finds himself bound for 1955 and face to face with his teenage parents -- again.

Back to the Future Part II

1989

Cast Away poster
7.7

Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.

Cast Away

2000

Cast Away poster
7.7

Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and finds himself marooned on a desolate island. With no way to escape, Chuck must find ways to survive in his new home.

Cast Away

2000

The Polar Express poster
6.7

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The Polar Express

2004

The Polar Express poster
6.7

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The Polar Express

2004

The Polar Express poster
6.7

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The Polar Express

2004

Who Framed Roger Rabbit poster
7.5

Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime suspect.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

1988

Contact poster
7.4

A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.

Contact

1997

Contact poster
7.4

A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.

Contact

1997

Roald Dahl's The Witches poster
6.3

In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered.

Roald Dahl's The Witches

2020

Roald Dahl's The Witches poster
6.3

In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered.

Roald Dahl's The Witches

2020

Roald Dahl's The Witches poster
6.3

In late 1967, a young orphaned boy goes to live with his loving grandma in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. As the boy and his grandmother encounter some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, she wisely whisks him away to a seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world's Grand High Witch has gathered.

Roald Dahl's The Witches

2020

House of Wax poster
6.0

A group of unwitting teens are stranded near a strange wax museum and soon must fight to survive and keep from becoming the next exhibit.

House of Wax

2005

Flight poster
6.9

Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's managed to complete his flights safely. His luck runs out when a disastrous mechanical malfunction sends his plane hurtling toward the ground. Whip pulls off a miraculous crash-landing that results in only six lives lost. Shaken to the core, Whip vows to get sober -- but when the crash investigation exposes his addiction, he finds himself in an even worse situation.

Flight

2012

Flight poster
6.9

Commercial airline pilot Whip Whitaker has a problem with drugs and alcohol, though so far he's managed to complete his flights safely. His luck runs out when a disastrous mechanical malfunction sends his plane hurtling toward the ground. Whip pulls off a miraculous crash-landing that results in only six lives lost. Shaken to the core, Whip vows to get sober -- but when the crash investigation exposes his addiction, he finds himself in an even worse situation.

Flight

2012

Romancing the Stone poster
6.8

Though she can spin wild tales of passionate romance, novelist Joan Wilder has no life of her own. Then one day adventure comes her way in the form of a mysterious package. It turns out that the parcel is the ransom she'll need to free her abducted sister, so Joan flies to South America to hand it over. But she gets on the wrong bus and winds up hopelessly stranded in the jungle.

Romancing the Stone

1984

Death Becomes Her poster
6.8

Madeline is married to Ernest, who was once her arch-rival Helen's fiancé. After recovering from a mental breakdown, Helen vows to kill Madeline and steal back Ernest. Unfortunately for everyone, the introduction of a magic potion causes things to be a great deal more complicated than a mere murder plot.

Death Becomes Her

1992

Death Becomes Her poster
6.8

Madeline is married to Ernest, who was once her arch-rival Helen's fiancé. After recovering from a mental breakdown, Helen vows to kill Madeline and steal back Ernest. Unfortunately for everyone, the introduction of a magic potion causes things to be a great deal more complicated than a mere murder plot.

Death Becomes Her

1992

A Christmas Carol poster
6.9

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

A Christmas Carol

2009

A Christmas Carol poster
6.9

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

A Christmas Carol

2009