Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis

1951-05-14 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 89 Credits

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

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Complete Filmography

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story

2025

as Self

10.0
Acting

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

You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath

2025

as Self

Acting

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

Here

Here

2024

Producer, Director, Screenplay

6.7
Producing Directing Writing

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

Tom Hanks: The Nomad

2023

as Self (archive footage)

5.5
Acting

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

Pinocchio

2022

Screenplay, Producer, Director

6.3
Writing Producing Directing

A wooden puppet embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.

Finch

Finch

2021

Executive Producer

7.8
Producing

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

Roald Dahl's The Witches

2020

Director, Screenplay, Producer

6.4
Directing Writing Producing

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

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

2020

Thanks

6.6

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

Project 88: Back to the Future Too

2020

Creator

8.5

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

Welcome to Marwen

2018

Director, Screenplay, Story

6.5
Directing Writing Producing

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

Elemental: Hydrogen vs. Hindenburg

2018

Executive Producer

6.0
Producing

"Elemental" is the groundbreaking television event from Academy Award-winning executive producer Robert Zemeckis that reveals how the elements of the ...

Spielberg

Spielberg

2017

as Self

7.6
Acting

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

Allied

Allied

2016

Director, Producer

6.8
Directing Producing

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

Doc Brown Saves the World

2015

Director, Writer

6.2
Directing Writing

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

Back in Time

2015

as Self

6.5
Acting

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

Back To the Present: The Special

2015

7.6
Acting

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

The Walk

2015

Director, Screenplay, Producer

7.0
Directing Writing Producing

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

Milius

Milius

2013

as Self

7.1
Acting

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

Flight

Flight

2012

Director, Producer

6.8
Directing Producing

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

Bound by Flesh

2012

Executive Producer

5.9
Producing

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

Persistence of Vision

2012

as Himself

8.0
Acting

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

Plaga zombie: zona mutante: revolución tóxica

2012

Thanks

5.7

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

Real Steel

2011

Executive Producer

7.0
Producing

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

Brian May's Brief History of 3D

2011

as Self

7.0
Acting

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

Mars Needs Moms

Mars Needs Moms

2011

Producer

5.9
Producing

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

Tales from the Future

Tales from the Future

2010

as Self

6.7
Acting

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

Behind the Burly Q

2010

Executive Producer

5.2
Producing

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

A Christmas Carol

2009

Director, Screenplay, Producer

6.9
Directing Writing Producing

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

Waking Sleeping Beauty

2009

as Self (archive footage)

7.2
Acting

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

Looking Back to the Future

2009

as Self

7.3
Acting

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

Looking Back to the Future

Looking Back to the Future

2009

Thanks

7.3

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

Beowulf

Beowulf

2007

Director, Producer, Writer

5.9
Directing Producing Writing

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

The Reaping

The Reaping

2007

Producer

5.7
Producing

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

Monster House

2006

Executive Producer

6.7
Producing

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

Last Holiday

2006

Executive Producer

7.2
Producing

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

Le court des grands

2005

Director

8.0
Directing

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

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

2005

Producer

6.7
Producing

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

House of Wax

2005

Producer

6.0
Producing

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

The Polar Express

2004

Director, Screenplay, Producer

6.7
Directing Writing Producing

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

Gothika

2003

Producer

6.1
Producing

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

Matchstick Men

2003

Executive Producer

7.0
Producing

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

Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit

2003

as Self

7.0
Acting

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

Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy

Back to the Future: Making the Trilogy

2002

as Self

7.7
Acting

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

Ghost Ship

2002

Producer

6.0
Producing

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

Ritual

2002

Producer

4.5
Producing

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

Thir13en Ghosts

Thir13en Ghosts

2001

Producer

6.3
Producing

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

Cast Away

2000

Director, Producer

7.7
Directing Producing

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

What Lies Beneath

2000

Director, Producer

6.4
Directing Producing

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

House on Haunted Hill

1999

Producer

5.6
Producing

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

The Pursuit of Happiness

1999

Director

Directing

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

Tales from the Crypt: The Robert Zemeckis Collection

1999

Director

8.7
Directing

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

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

1999

as Self

7.9
Acting

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'

The Making of 'The Frighteners'

1998

as Himself

8.8
Acting

Documentary about the making of the 1996 horror-comedy.

Contact

Contact

1997

Director, Producer

7.4
Directing Producing

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

Bordello of Blood

1996

Story, Executive Producer

5.9
Writing Producing

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

The Frighteners

1996

Executive Producer

6.9
Producing

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'

The Making of '1941'

1996

as Self

6.6
Acting

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

W.E.I.R.D. World

1995

Executive Producer

2.5
Producing

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

Tales from the Crypt: You, Murderer

1995

Director

Directing

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

Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight

1995

Executive Producer

6.9
Producing

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

Through the Eyes of Forrest Gump

1994

as Self

7.6
Acting

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

DeGenerazione

DeGenerazione

1994

Thanks

5.5

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

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump

1994

Director

8.5
Directing

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

Trespass

1992

Writer, Executive Producer

6.3
Writing Producing

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

The Public Eye

1992

Executive Producer

6.2
Producing

A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.

Death Becomes Her

Death Becomes Her

1992

Director, Producer

6.8
Directing Producing

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

Two-Fisted Tales

1992

Director, Executive Producer

5.0
Directing Producing

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

Back to the Future: The Ride

1991

Executive Producer, Original Film Writer

4.5
Producing Writing

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

The Secrets of the 'Back to the Future' Trilogy

1990

as Self

4.8
Acting

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

Back to the Future Part III

1990

Director, Story, Characters

7.5
Directing Writing

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

Back to the Future Part II

1989

Director, Characters, Story

7.8
Directing Writing

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

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

1989

as Himself

7.7
Acting
Back to the Future (Part II): Behind-the-Scenes Special Presentation

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

1989

Thanks

7.7
First Works

First Works

1989

as Self

Acting

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

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

1988

Director

7.5
Directing

'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

Citizen Steve

1987

as Screenwriter

5.9
Acting

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

The Making of Back to the Future

1986

as Self

7.6
Acting

The Making of 'Back to the Future'

Amazing Stories

Amazing Stories

1986

Director

6.4
Directing

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

Back to the Future

1985

Director, Writer

8.3
Directing Writing

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

Romancing the Stone

1984

Director

6.8
Directing

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

Used Cars

1980

Director, Writer

6.4
Directing Writing

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

1941

1979

Story, Screenplay

5.8
Writing

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

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

1978

Writer, Director

6.3
Writing Directing

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

A Field of Honor

1973

Director, Writer

6.5
Directing Writing

An ex-soldier encounters many dangers in the small town he lives in.

The Lift

1972

Director

6.0
Directing

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

Acting

A behind the scenes look at the production of Beowulf

School for Scumbags

School for Scumbags

N/A

Executive Producer

Producing

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

Amazing Stories: The Movie I

N/A

Director

Directing

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

Directing

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...