Biography
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...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
2025
as Self
The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews ...

You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath
2025
as Self
A feature-length retrospective documentary on the making of “What Lies Beneath.”

Here
2024
Producer, Director, Screenplay
An odyssey through time and memory, centered on a place in New Jersey where—from wilderness, and then, later, from a home—love, loss, struggle, hope a...

Tom Hanks: The Nomad
2023
as Self (archive footage)
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 '...

Pinocchio
2022
Screenplay, Producer, Director
A wooden puppet embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.

Finch
2021
Executive Producer
On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a robot, built to protect the life of his dying creator's beloved dog, learns about life, love, friendship, and what it m...

Roald Dahl's The Witches
2020
Director, Screenplay, Producer
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 encount...

I'm Thinking of Ending Things
2020
Thanks
Nothing is as it seems when a woman experiencing misgivings about her new boyfriend joins him on a road trip to meet his parents at their remote farm.

Project 88: Back to the Future Too
2020
Creator
More than 300 fans from 9 different countries joined together to remake Back to the Future Part II during the COVID-19 quarantine. The film was split ...

Welcome to Marwen
2018
Director, Screenplay, Story
When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery. Putting together pieces from his old and new ...

Elemental: Hydrogen vs. Hindenburg
2018
Executive Producer
"Elemental" is the groundbreaking television event from Academy Award-winning executive producer Robert Zemeckis that reveals how the elements of the ...

Spielberg
2017
as Self
A documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time, Steven Spielberg.

Allied
2016
Director, Producer
In 1942, an intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reuni...

Doc Brown Saves the World
2015
Director, Writer
In order to save the world from a nuclear holocaust in 2045, Doc Brown must push the technological age back at least 50 years preventing Mattel Hoverb...

Back in Time
2015
as Self
Cast, crew and fans explore the 'Back to the Future' time-travel trilogy's resonance throughout our culture—30 years after Marty McFly went back in ti...

Back To the Present: The Special
2015
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, Mic...

The Walk
2015
Director, Screenplay, Producer
The story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

Milius
2013
as Self
The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.

Flight
2012
Director, Producer
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 ...

Bound by Flesh
2012
Executive Producer
Conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton were once the cream of the sideshow crop. Taught to sing and dance at an early age, the winsome duo ascended t...

Persistence of Vision
2012
as Himself
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 nea...

Plaga zombie: zona mutante: revolución tóxica
2012
Thanks
An invasion alien threatens the fate of humanity and begins in a village where there are Bill Johnson, John West and Max Giggs. The friends escape fro...

Real Steel
2011
Executive Producer
Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up w...

Brian May's Brief History of 3D
2011
as Self
A look into the history of 3D by Brian May from Queen.

Mars Needs Moms
2011
Producer
When Martians suddenly abduct his mom, mischievous Milo rushes to the rescue and discovers why all moms are so special.

Tales from the Future
2010
as Self
Eight-part retrospective documentary on the making of "Back to the Future" (and its two sequels) for the film's 25th anniversary.

Behind the Burly Q
2010
Executive Producer
Dive into more than a century of decadence with this tantalizing look at the evolution of burlesque. Cabaret star Leslie Zemeckis traces the art form ...

A Christmas Carol
2009
Director, Screenplay, Producer
Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his yout...

Waking Sleeping Beauty
2009
as Self (archive footage)
By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovat...

Looking Back to the Future
2009
as Self
A 9-part retrospective documentary from 2009 on the trilogy’s legacy.

Looking Back to the Future
2009
Thanks
A 9-part retrospective documentary from 2009 on the trilogy’s legacy.

Beowulf
2007
Director, Producer, Writer
A 6th-century Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf embarks on a mission to slay the man-like ogre, Grendel.

The Reaping
2007
Producer
Katherine Morrissey, a former Christian missionary, lost her faith after the tragic deaths of her family. Now she applies her expertise to debunking r...

Monster House
2006
Executive Producer
Monsters under the bed are scary enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? Three teens aim to find out when they go up against ...

Last Holiday
2006
Executive Producer
The discovery that she has a terminal illness prompts introverted department store saleswoman Georgia Byrd to reflect on what she realizes has been an...

Le court des grands
2005
Director
A program of debut shorts from some of cinema's greatest diectors. Curated by Emir Kusturica and Stephen Frears, featured auteurs include George Lucas...

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
2005
Producer
A Midwestern housewife supports her large family by entering contests for ad slogans sponsored by consumer product companies, while dealing with abuse...

House of Wax
2005
Producer
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.

The Polar Express
2004
Director, Screenplay, Producer
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 wonde...

Gothika
2003
Producer
After a car crash, criminal psychologist Dr. Miranda Grey regains consciousness only to find that she's a patient in the same mental institution that ...

Matchstick Men
2003
Executive Producer
A phobic con artist and his protege are on the verge of pulling off a lucrative swindle when the con artist's teenage daughter arrives unexpectedly.

Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit
2003
as Self
The complete documentary on the production of the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".

Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy
2002
as Self
This is the making of the Back to the Future Trilogy by acclaimed documentary maker Laurent Bouzereau and appears on the Back to the Future DVD set.

Ghost Ship
2002
Producer
After discovering a passenger ship missing since 1962 floating adrift on the Bering Sea, salvagers claim the vessel as their own. Once they begin towi...

Ritual
2002
Producer
An American doctor encounters members of a voodoo cult when she is summoned to Jamaica to treat a wealthy man's brother.

Thir13en Ghosts
2001
Producer
Arthur and his two children inherit his uncle's estate: a glass house that serves as a prison to twelve ghosts. When the family, accompanied by a nann...

Cast Away
2000
Director, Producer
Chuck Nolan, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malays...

What Lies Beneath
2000
Director, Producer
When Claire Spencer starts hearing ghostly voices and seeing spooky images, she wonders if an otherworldly spirit is trying to contact her. All the wh...

House on Haunted Hill
1999
Producer
An amusement park mogul offers a random group of diverse people $1 million to spend the night in a decrepit former mental institution.

The Pursuit of Happiness
1999
Director
Showtime's "In the 20th Century" is a millennium-related strand of feature-length documentaries in which famous directors take on major subjects of th...

Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection
1999
Director
In "All Through the Night," perhaps the single most famous story from the original comic book series, a psychotic killer dressed as Santa escapes Chri...

From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic
1999
as Self
The incredible evolution of George Lucas' special effects dream factory, including an inside look at "Star Wars: Episode One - The Phantom Menace."

The Making of 'The Frighteners'
1998
as Himself
Documentary about the making of the 1996 horror-comedy.

Contact
1997
Director, Producer
A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and ...

Bordello of Blood
1996
Story, Executive Producer
Private eye Rafe Guttman is hired by repressed, born-again Katherine to find her missing bad-boy brother. The trail leads him to a whorehouse run by a...

The Frighteners
1996
Executive Producer
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the r...

The Making of '1941'
1996
as Self
A non-narrated documentary, told mainly in interviews with the filmmakers, on the making of the cult comedy classic, featuring outtakes, rare behind-t...

W.E.I.R.D. World
1995
Executive Producer
Greed, murder, sex - all appear to thrive at the Wilson Emery Institute for Research and Development, aka W.E.I.R.D., where brilliant, young, but emot...

Tales from the Crypt: You, Murderer
1995
Director
Plastic surgery makes a criminal look like Humphrey Bogart. Years later, he's a successful businessman. His angry wife finds out about his past and th...

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight
1995
Executive Producer
Ex-soldier Frank Brayker is the guardian of an ancient key that can unlock tremendous evil; the sinister Collector is a demon who wants the key so he ...

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

DeGenerazione
1994
Thanks
Horror/sci-fi anthology with a punk streak, co-directed by and starring — among other newcomers — Asia Argento.

Forrest Gump
1994
Director
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 any...

Trespass
1992
Writer, Executive Producer
Two Arkansas firemen, Vince and Don, get hold of a map that leads to a cache of stolen gold in an abandoned factory in East St. Louis. What they don't...

The Public Eye
1992
Executive Producer
A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.

Death Becomes Her
1992
Director, Producer
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 s...

Two-Fisted Tales
1992
Director, Executive Producer
The foul-mouthed, wheelchair-bound Mr. Rush introduces three adventure tales inspired by the EC Comics of the 1950s: "Showdown," "King of the Road," a...

Back to the Future: The Ride
1991
Executive Producer, Original Film Writer
Visitors to the Institute of Future Technology enter what they believe to be a tour of the facilities, but instead get involved in a chase through tim...

The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy
1990
as Self
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 b...

Back to the Future Part III
1990
Director, Story, Characters
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 mac...

Back to the Future Part II
1989
Director, Characters, Story
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...

Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation
1989
as Himself

Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation
1989
Thanks

First Works
1989
as Self
It's a mixed bag in the age of illuminating DVD supplements, but First Works effectively demonstrates the early promise of 13 successful filmmakers. C...

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1988
Director
'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....

Citizen Steve
1987
as Screenwriter
On the occasion of the 40th birthday of the almighty filmmaker Steven Allan Spielberg, inquisitive reporter Clip Maxwell attempts to uncover the truth...

The Making of Back to the Future
1986
as Self
The Making of 'Back to the Future'

Amazing Stories
1986
Director
A feature film edited from three episodes of Amazing Stories (1985): The Mission, Mummy Daddy and Go to the Head of the Class.

Back to the Future
1985
Director, Writer
Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother...

Romancing the Stone
1984
Director
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...

Used Cars
1980
Director, Writer
When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the ...

1941
1979
Story, Screenplay
In the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, panic grips California, where a military officer leads a mob chasing a Japanese sub.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand
1978
Writer, Director
If they missed Beatles' first appearance in the U.S.A. they would hate themselves for the rest of their lives! So four young girls from New Jersey set...

A Field of Honor
1973
Director, Writer
An ex-soldier encounters many dangers in the small town he lives in.
The Lift
1972
Director
A businessman lives out his daily routine until he meets unexpected stress in the form of his apartment building's elevator.
A Hero's Journey: The Making of Beowulf
N/A
as Himself
A behind the scenes look at the production of Beowulf

School for Scumbags
N/A
Executive Producer
An often-expelled student finds a home at the Gafin School for "misdirected" teens -- an institution run by professional thieves.

Amazing Stories: The Movie I
N/A
Director
Two tales from the TV series: One has a cartoonist gunner (Casey Siemaszko) in a doomed B-17; the other, a bad teacher (Christopher Lloyd) and black m...
The Last Mrs. Parrish
N/A
Director
A con artist targets a wealthy couple — the Parrishes — as her next victims. She infiltrates the pair by befriending the wife and seducing the husband...