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{{Short description|American filmmaker (born 1952)}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Robert Zemeckis
| image              = Robert Zemeckis "The Walk" at Opening Ceremony of the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (21835891403) (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Zemeckis in October 2015
| birth_name         = Robert Lee Zemeckis
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1952|5|14}}
| birth_place        = [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]], U.S.
| other_names        = Bob Zemeckis
| occupation         = Filmmaker
| years_active       = 1972–present
| spouse             = {{unbulleted list
| {{marriage|[[Mary Ellen Trainor]]|1980|2000|reason=divorced}}
| {{marriage|[[Leslie Zemeckis]]<br />|2001}}
}}
| children           = 4
}}
'''Robert Lee Zemeckis''' (born May 14, 1952), sometimes referred to as '''Bob Zemeckis''',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/07/03/bob-zemeckis-zooming-ahead/e1064f4f-dd25-4f1e-a049-02799ef5869e/ |title=Bob Zemeckis, Zooming Ahead |last=Attanasio |first=Paul |date=July 3, 1985 |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=December 12, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/tokyo-olympics-debt-back-future-79026318 |title=At Tokyo Olympics, a debt to 'Back to the Future' and 'E.T.' |last=Leicester |first=John |date=July 24, 2021 |website=ABC News |access-date=December 12, 2021 |quote='The skateboard associations and the BMX associations should be giving Bob Zemeckis, myself and Steven Spielberg lifetime achievement awards,' joked 'Back to the Future' screenwriter Bob Gale in an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the competitions.}}</ref> is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing a range of successful and influential films that often blend cutting-edge [[visual effects]] with storytelling. He has received accolades such as two [[Academy Award|Academy Awards]] and a [[Golden Globe Award]], as well as nominations for five [[British Academy Film Awards]] and a [[Daytime Emmy Award]].

Zemeckis gained some recognition for his short film ''A Field of Honor'' (1973), which awarded him a [[Student Academy Awards|Student Academy Award]] for Special Jury Prize at USC. He started his career directing the comedy films ''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand (film)|I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]'' (1978), ''[[Used Cars]]'' (1980), and ''[[Romancing the Stone]]'' (1984). He gained prominence directing the sci-fi comedy ''[[Back to the Future (franchise)|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 earned him the [[Academy Award for Best Director]]. He is one of only a few people to win Academy Awards for both student and competitive work.

Zemeckis has also directed the satirical black comedy ''[[Death Becomes Her]]'' (1992), the science fiction film ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (1997), and the drama films ''[[Cast Away]]'' (2000), ''[[Flight (2012 film)|Flight]]'' (2012), ''[[The Walk (2015 film)|The Walk]]'' (2015), and ''[[Allied (film)|Allied]]'' (2016). His exploration of [[motion capture]] techniques can be seen in the animated films ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]'' (2004) and ''[[A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (2009) as well as the action fantasy drama ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|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.

==Early life ==
Robert Lee Zemeckis was born in [[Chicago]]<ref name="Thomson 985"/> on May 14, 1952,<ref>{{cite web|title=Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 9–15|url=https://apnews.com/article/hip-hop-and-rap-celebrity-entertainment-music-arts-and-entertainment-771ec34c1c9de832f1ac04213f78bca6|website=Associated Press|access-date=June 6, 2021|date=May 14, 2021}}</ref> the son of Italian-American mother Rosa (née Nespeca)<ref name=arquata>{{cite web|url=https://www.arquatadeltronto.com/ultime/arquata-un-paese-da-oscar-secondo-robert-zemeckis/|language=it|title= Arquata: un paese da Oscar secondo Robert Zemeckis|date=February 20, 2013|publisher=Arquata del Tronto|access-date=August 29, 2021}}</ref> and Lithuanian-American father Alphonse Zemeckis.<ref name=roseobit>{{cite news|title=Rose Zemeckis Obituary|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nwherald/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=142373147|work=[[Northwest Herald]]|location=[[Crystal Lake, Illinois]]|access-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref><ref name="ZemeckisVle">{{cite web |last1=Blynaitė |first1=Laura |title=Robert Zemeckis |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/robert-zemeckis/ |website=[[Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija]] |access-date=7 December 2024 |language=lt}}</ref> He grew up in a [[working class|working-class]] family on Chicago's [[South Side, Chicago|South Side]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Kunk|first=Deborah J.|title=The Man Who Framed Roger Rabbit|work=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press|Pioneer Press]]|location=[[St. Paul, Minnesota]]|date=June 26, 1988|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PD&s_site=twincities&p_multi=SP&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB5D76FD2F5639C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|access-date=December 10, 2007}}</ref><ref name="ZemeckisVle"/> where he attended a [[Catholic]] grade school and [[Fenger Academy High School (Chicago)|Fenger Academy High School]].<ref name="achieve">{{cite web|url=http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/zem0int-1|title=Robert Zemeckis interview|publisher=Academy of Achievement: A Museum of Living History, June 29, 1996|access-date=January 22, 2007|page=[http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/zem0int–3]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208230311/http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/zem0int-1|archive-date=February 8, 2007}}</ref> He said of his childhood, "The truth was that in my family there was no art. I mean, there was no music, there were no books, there was no theater... the only thing I had that was inspirational was television."<ref name="achieve"/>

As a child, Zemeckis loved television and was fascinated by his parents' [[8 mm film]] home movie camera. Starting off by filming family events like birthdays and holidays, he gradually began producing narrative films with his friends that incorporated [[stop-motion]] work and other visual effects. He remained an avid television viewer, about which he later said, "You hear so much about the problems with television but I think that it saved my life." Television gave him his first glimpse of a world outside of his upbringing, specifically after he learned that [[film school]]s existed from an episode of ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]''.<ref name="achieve"/> After seeing ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]'' with his father,<ref name="castaway">{{cite news|last=Kehr|first=Dave|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807EED6133FF934A25751C1A9669C8B63|title='Cast Away' Director Defies Categorizing|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 17, 2000|access-date=March 31, 2008}}</ref> he decided that he wanted to go to film school. His parents disapproved of the idea. He later clarified that they disapproved "only in the sense that they were concerned" because "this was the kind of dream that really was impossible" for family and my friends in the world he grew up in. He said, "My parents would sit there and say, 'Don't you see where you come from? You can't be a movie director.' I guess maybe some of it I felt I had to do in spite of them, too."<ref name="achieve"/>

Zemeckis first attended [[Northern Illinois University]] (NIU) in [[DeKalb, Illinois]], and gained early experience in film as a film cutter for NBC News in Chicago during a summer break.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hevrdejs |first1=Judy |last2=Conklin |first2=Mike |title=Director Zemeckis in a Class by Himself at NIU |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-04-19-9804190301-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=October 28, 2021 |date=April 19, 1998}}</ref> He also edited commercials in his home state.<ref>[http://expdvl.com/internet/FAMOUS/WWWINE~1.NET/~WODIGE/SSFS/ZEMECKIS/BIOTEX~1.HTM Biotex]</ref> He applied to transfer from NIU to the [[University of Southern California]]'s (USC) [[USC School of Cinematic Arts|School of Cinematic Arts]] in [[Los Angeles]], where he went into the Film School on the strength of an essay and a music video based on a [[The Beatles|Beatles]] song. After waiting to hear back from the university, he called them directly and was told he had been rejected because of his average grades. He gave an "impassioned plea" to the university official during the phone call, promising to go to summer school and improve his studies, and eventually convinced the school to accept him.

Arriving at USC that fall, Zemeckis encountered a program that he later described as being "made up of a bunch of hippies [and] considered an embarrassment by the university". The classes were difficult, with professors constantly stressing how hard the film industry was. Zemeckis remembered not being much fazed by this, citing the "healthy cynicism" that had been bred into him from his Chicago upbringing.<ref name="achieve"/> He met a fellow student, writer [[Bob Gale]], who later recalled, "The graduate students at USC had this veneer of intellectualism... so Bob and I gravitated toward one another because we wanted to make Hollywood movies. We weren't interested in the [[French New Wave]]. We were interested in [[Clint Eastwood]] and [[James Bond]] and [[Walt Disney]], because that's how we grew up."<ref name="block">Shone, Tom. ''Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Summer''.  New York: Free Press, 2004; {{ISBN|0-7432-3568-1}} pp. 123-125.</ref> Zemeckis graduated from USC in 1973,<ref>[http://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/alumni-history/ Notable Alumni, USC School of Cinematic Arts] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826034853/http://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/alumni-history/|date=August 26, 2009}}.</ref> and he and Gale co-wrote the unproduced screenplays ''Tank'' and ''[[Bordello of Blood]]'', which they pitched to [[John Milius]], the latter of which was later developed into a film that was released in 1996.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/8353650|title=25 Development Facts Behind the Back to the Future Trilogy|date=October 21, 2015|work=Huffington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/07/03/bob-zemeckis-zooming-ahead/e1064f4f-dd25-4f1e-a049-02799ef5869e/?noredirect=on|title=Bob Zemeckis, Zooming Ahead|date=July 3, 1985|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|people=Milius, John|date=2002|title=The Making of 1941: In the Beginning|time=01:39|publisher=Universal Studios|isbn=0783231032}}</ref>

== Career ==
=== 1978–1984: Early comedy films ===
As a result of winning a [[Student Academy Awards|Student Academy Award]] at USC for his film ''A Field of Honor'',<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=A Field of Honor |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjx-WXg0Mvg | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602041157/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjx-WXg0Mvg| archive-date=June 2, 2018|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Zemeckis came to the attention of [[Steven Spielberg]]. Spielberg said, "He barged right past my secretary and sat me down and showed me this student film&nbsp;... and I thought it was spectacular, with police cars and a riot, all dubbed to [[Elmer Bernstein]]'s score for ''[[The Great Escape (film)|The Great Escape]]''."<ref name="block"/> Spielberg became Zemeckis's mentor and executive produced his first two films, both of which Gale and Zemeckis co-wrote.

Spielberg produced ''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand (film)|I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]'' (1978, starring [[Nancy Allen (actress)|Nancy Allen]]) and ''[[Used Cars]]'' (1980, starring [[Kurt Russell]]); both were critical, but not commercial, successes. ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'' was the first of several Zemeckis films to incorporate historic figures and celebrities into his movies; he used archival footage and doubles to simulate the presence of the Beatles. After the failure of his first two films, and the Spielberg-directed ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]'' (1979) (written by Gale and Zemeckis), the pair gained a reputation for writing "scripts that everyone thought were great [but] somehow didn't translate into movies people wanted to see."<ref name="block"/>

As a result of his reputation within the industry, Zemeckis had trouble finding work in the early 1980s, though he and Gale kept busy. They wrote scripts for other directors, including ''Car Pool'' for [[Brian De Palma]] and ''Growing Up'' for Spielberg; neither ended up getting made. Another Zemeckis-Gale project, ''[[Back to the Future]]'', about a teenager who travels back in time to the 1950s, was turned down by every major studio.<ref name="horo">Horowitz, Mark. "Back with a Future", [[American Film (magazine)|''American Film'']], July/August 1988. pp. 32–35.</ref> The director was jobless until [[Michael Douglas]] hired him in 1984 to direct ''[[Romancing the Stone]]''. A romantic adventure starring Douglas and [[Kathleen Turner]], ''Stone'' was expected to flop (to the point that, after viewing a rough cut of the film, the producers of the then-in-the-works ''[[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]'' fired Zemeckis as director),<ref name="horo"/> but the film became a sleeper hit. While working on ''Romancing the Stone'', Zemeckis met composer [[Alan Silvestri]], who has scored all his subsequent pictures.

=== 1985–1999: Breakthrough and acclaim ===
[[File:Robert Zemeckis at Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39 Press Site, January 29, 1997.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Zemeckis in January 1997]]
After ''Romancing the Stone'', Zemeckis had the clout to direct his time-traveling screenplay. Starring [[Michael J. Fox]], [[Lea Thompson]], [[Crispin Glover]], and [[Christopher Lloyd]], the 1985 film was wildly successful upon its release and was followed by two sequels, released as ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' in 1989 and ''[[Back to the Future Part III]]'' in 1990. Before the ''Back to the Future'' sequels were released, Zemeckis collaborated with Disney and directed another film, the madcap 1940s-set mystery ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'', which combined [[live-action]] and [[traditional animation]]; its $70 million budget made it one of the most expensive films made up to that point. The film was both a financial and critical success and won three [[Academy Award]]s. In 1990, Zemeckis commented, when asked if he would want to make non-comedies, "I would like to be able to do everything. Just now, though, I'm too restless to do anything that's not really zany."<ref name="horo"/>

In 1992, Zemeckis directed the black comedy ''[[Death Becomes Her]]'', starring [[Meryl Streep]], [[Goldie Hawn]], and [[Bruce Willis]]. Although his next film would have some comedic elements, it was Zemeckis's first with dramatic elements and was also his biggest commercial success to date, ''[[Forrest Gump]]''. Starring [[Tom Hanks]] in the title role, ''Forrest Gump'' tells the story of a man with a low [[I.Q.]], who unwittingly participates in some of the major events of the twentieth century, falls in love, and interacts with several major historical figures in the process. The film grossed $677 million worldwide and became the top-grossing American film of 1994; it won six Academy Awards, including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for Hanks, and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for Zemeckis.<ref>{{cite news|last=Harris|first=Mark|url= https://ew.com/article/1994/07/15/forrest-gump/|title=Movie Review: Forrest Gump|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=July 15, 1994|access-date=January 26, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-13 |title=Student Academy Awards {{!}} Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |url=https://www.oscars.org/saa |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=www.oscars.org |language=en}}</ref> From this point, Hanks and Zemeckis became frequent collaborators.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/robert-zemeckis-returns-to-science-fiction-with-project-blue-book-bios-1202501178/ |last=Boucher |first=Geoff |date=November 14, 2018 |title=Robert Zemeckis Returns To Science Fiction With 'Project Blue Book' & 'Bios' |website=Deadline |access-date=August 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/tom-hanks-geppetto-pinocchio-movie-robert-zemeckis-disney-1202998669/ |last=Kroll |first=Justin |date=August 5, 2020 |title=Disney Eyeing Tom Hanks To Play Geppetto In Robert Zemeckis' 'Pinocchio' |website=Deadline |access-date=August 25, 2020}}</ref> In 1997, Zemeckis directed ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'', a long-gestating project based on [[Carl Sagan]]'s 1985 [[Contact (novel)|novel of the same name]]. The film centers on Eleanor Arroway ([[Jodie Foster]]), who believes she has made contact with extraterrestrials. In the early 1990s, he founded South Side Amusement Company, which later became [[ImageMovers]].<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Busch|first1=Anita M.|date=June 18, 1997|title=Zemeckis, Rapke wrap up DreamWorks deal|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/zemeckis-rapke-wrap-up-dreamworks-deal-1116679407/|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref>

During this same time period, Zemeckis was an executive producer of [[HBO]]'s ''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]'' (1989–1996) and directed three episodes. In 1999, Zemeckis donated $5 million towards the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts at USC, a {{convert|35000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} center. When the Center opened in March 2001, Zemeckis spoke in a panel about the future of film, alongside friends Steven Spielberg and [[George Lucas]]. Of those (including Spielberg) who clung to celluloid and disparaged the idea of shooting digitally, Zemeckis said, "These guys are the same ones who have been saying that [[LP album|LPs]] sound better than CDs. You can argue that until you're blue in the face, but I don't know anyone who's still buying vinyl. The film, as we have traditionally thought of it, is going to be different. But the continuum is man's desire to tell stories around the campfire. The only thing that keeps changing is the campfire."<ref>Hayes, Dade, and Dana Harris. "Helmers mull digital around state-of-art campfire," ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', March 5, 2001 (accessed August 27, 2014).</ref> The Robert Zemeckis Center currently hosts many film school classes, much of the [[USC Interactive Media Division|Interactive Media Division]], and [[Trojan Vision]], USC's student television station, which has been voted the number one college television station in the country.

In 1996, Zemeckis had begun developing a project titled ''The Castaway'' with [[Tom Hanks]] and writer [[William Broyles Jr.]] The story, inspired by ''[[Robinson Crusoe]]'', is about a man who becomes stranded on a tropical island and undergoes a profound physical and spiritual change.<ref name="lies">[https://ew.com/article/2000/08/18/fall-movie-preview-7/ Fall Movie Preview: December], [[Entertainment Weekly]], August 18, 2000 (accessed October 28, 2021).</ref> While working on ''The Castaway'', Zemeckis also became attached to a [[Alfred Hitchcock|Hitchcockian]] thriller titled ''[[What Lies Beneath]]'', the story of a married couple experiencing an extreme case of [[empty nest syndrome]] that was based on an idea by Steven Spielberg.<ref name="pair">Petrikin, Chris.  [https://variety.com/1998/film/news/pairing-for-zemeckis-1117481417/ "Pairing for Zemeckis"], ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', October 14, 1998 (accessed September 11, 2007).</ref> Because Hanks's character needed to undergo a dramatic weight loss over the course of ''The Castaway'' (retitled ''[[Cast Away]]'' for release), Zemeckis decided that the only way to retain the same crew while Hanks lost the weight was to shoot ''What Lies Beneath'' in between. He shot the first part of ''Cast Away'' in early 1999, and shot ''What Lies Beneath'' in fall 1999, completing work on the former in early 2000.<ref name="pair"/> Zemeckis later quipped, when asked about shooting two films back-to-back, "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone."<ref name="lies"/> ''What Lies Beneath'', starring [[Harrison Ford]] and [[Michelle Pfeiffer]], was released in July 2000 to mixed reviews, but did well at the box office, grossing over $155 million domestically. ''Cast Away'', starring Hanks and ''[[Twister (1996 film)|Twister]]'' actress [[Helen Hunt]], was released that December and grossed $233 million domestically;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=castaway.htm|website=Box Office Mojo|title=''Cast Away''|access-date=March 3, 2018}}</ref> Hanks received a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Actor]] for his portrayal of Chuck Noland.

===2004–present: Career fluctuations ===
In 2004, Zemeckis re-collaborated with Hanks for ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]'', based on [[Chris Van Allsburg]]'s [[The Polar Express|children's book of the same name]]. ''The Polar Express'' utilized the [[computer animation]] technique known as [[motion capture]], where the movements of the actors are captured digitally and used as the basis for the animated characters. As the very first film to use motion capture, ''The Polar Express'' caused ''[[The New York Times]]'' to write that, "Whatever critics and audiences make of this movie, from a technical perspective it could mark a turning point in the gradual transition from an analog to a digital cinema."<ref>{{cite news|last=Kehr|first=Dave|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/24/movies/24kehr.html|title=FILM: The Face That Launched A Thousand Chips|work=The New York Times|date=October 24, 2004|access-date=March 31, 2008}}</ref> Zemeckis served as an executive producer for ''[[Monster House (film)|Monster House]]'' (2006), a family-friendly horror comedy that used motion capture.<ref>{{cite news| last= Scott| first= A. O.| title=In 'Monster House', It's Home Creepy Home| work= The New York Times| date= July 21, 2006| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/21/movies/21mons.html?_r=0}}</ref>

[[File:Robert Lee Zemeckis (Walk of Fame Star).jpg|thumb|left|Zemeckis's star on Walk of Fame, Hollywood, LA]]
In February 2007, Zemeckis and [[Walt Disney Studios (production)|Walt Disney Studios]] chairman [[Dick Cook]] announced plans for a new motion capture film company devoted to CGI-created, 3-D movies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0545679120070206|title=Disney, "Polar Express" director in animation deal|work=[[Reuters]]|date=February 5, 2007|access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref> The company, [[ImageMovers Digital]], created films using the motion capture technology, with Zemeckis directing most of the projects which Disney distributed and marketed worldwide. Zemeckis used the motion capture technology again in his film, ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]'', to retell the Anglo-Saxon [[Beowulf|epic poem of the same name]]. It featured [[Ray Winstone]], [[Angelina Jolie]], and [[Anthony Hopkins]]. [[Neil Gaiman]], who co-wrote the adaptation with [[Roger Avary]], described the film as a "cheerfully violent and strange take on the Beowulf legend."<ref>{{cite news|author=Goldstein, Hilary|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/720/720459p1.html|title=Comic-Con 2006: Neil Gaiman's Future Movies|publisher=IGN.com|date=July 21, 2006|access-date=January 13, 2007}}</ref> The film was released on November 16, 2007, to mostly positive reviews and grossed $196 million worldwide. In July 2007, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' announced that Zemeckis had written a screenplay for ''[[A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'', based on [[Charles Dickens]]'s 1843 [[A Christmas Carol|short story of the same name]], with plans to use motion capture and release it under the aegis of ImageMovers Digital. Zemeckis wrote the script with [[Jim Carrey]] in mind, and Carrey agreed to play a multitude of roles in the film, including [[Ebenezer Scrooge]] as a young, middle-aged, and old man, and the three ghosts who haunt Scrooge.<ref>Fleming, Michael. [https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/jim-carrey-set-for-christmas-carol-1117968136/ "Jim Carrey set for 'Christmas Carol': Zemeckis directing Dickens adaptation"], ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', July 6, 2007 (accessed September 11, 2007).</ref> The film began production in February 2008 and was released on November 6, 2009, to mixed reviews<ref>{{cite news| url=http://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/studios-rush-to-fill-09-schedule-1117980473/|work=Variety|title=Studios rush to fill '09 schedule|first=Pamela|last=McClintock|date=February 7, 2008|access-date=October 28, 2021}}</ref> and grossed $325 million at the box office. Actor [[Gary Oldman]] also appeared in the film.<ref>[http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2008/07/03/gary-oldman-to-play-three-roles-in-robert-zemeckis-a-christmas-carol Gary Oldman To Play Three Roles in Robert Zemeckis' ''‘A Christmas Carol''], geeksofdoom.com; accessed August 27, 2014.</ref> Zemeckis is an avid supporter of 3-D Digital Cinema and has stated that since the 3-D presentations of ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]'', all of his future films would be done in 3-D using digital [[motion capture]]. He has reportedly backed away from that statement and said that the decision to use 3-D will be on a film-by-film basis.{{citation needed|date=August 2014}}

On August 19, 2009, it was reported that Zemeckis and his company were in talks with [[Apple Corps|Apple Corps Ltd.]] to remake the animated film ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]'' utilizing motion capture. However, on March 12, 2010, with Zemeckis's biggest Disney ally, former chairman Dick Cook, gone, and amid drastic cost-cutting by the new management team, Disney announced that it was ending its relationship with ImageMovers Digital.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/news/business/disney-close-zemeckis-imagemovers-digital-studio|title=Disney to Close Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital Studio|publisher=AWN}}</ref> The studio's final film, 2011's Zemeckis-produced ''[[Mars Needs Moms]]'', was the second-worst box office failure in history, with a net loss of roughly $130 million. Zemeckis made his comeback to live-action filmmaking with ''[[Flight (2012 film)|Flight]]'', a 2012 drama for Paramount, starring [[Denzel Washington]]. On January 31, 2014, it was announced that a [[Back to the Future (musical)|stage]] [[Musical theatre|musical]] adaptation of Zemeckis's first ''Back to the Future'' film was in production.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25976383|title=Back to the Future musical announced|work=BBC News|date=January 31, 2014}}</ref> The show would be co-written by original writers Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/jan/31/back-to-the-future-musical|title=Back to the Future: 80s movie gets musical makeover|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=January 31, 2014|access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref> According to Gale, the musical would be "true to the spirit of the film without being a slavish remake".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/back-to-the-future-stage-musical-version-of-80s-classic-film-to-hit-londons-west-end-9098264.html|title=Back to the Future: stage musical version of 80s classic film to hit London's West End|publisher=[[London Evening Standard]]|work=standard.co.uk|date=January 31, 2014|access-date=February 7, 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Robert Zemeckis 2013.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Zemeckis with his wife [[Leslie Zemeckis|Leslie]] in January 2013]]
In August 2008, ''[[IGN]]'' revealed in an interview with [[Philippe Petit]] that Zemeckis was working with Petit to turn Petit's memoir ''To Reach the Clouds'' into a feature film.<ref>Aftab, Kaleem [https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/30/man-on-wire-qa "Man on Wire Q&A"]</ref> In 2015, he directed ''[[The Walk (2015 film)|The Walk]]'', about Philippe Petit ([[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]]) and his ambition to tightrope walk between the towers of New York City's World Trade Center. [[Paramount Pictures]] and [[New Regency]] announced in February 2015 that Zemeckis would direct [[Brad Pitt]] in ''[[Allied (film)|Allied]]'', a romantic thriller set during World War II.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-zemeckis-direct-brad-pitt-770867|title=Robert Zemeckis to Direct Brad Pitt Romantic Thriller|first=Erik|last=Hayden|date=February 6, 2015|access-date=February 12, 2015|archive-date=February 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212215451/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-zemeckis-direct-brad-pitt-770867|url-status=live|work=The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref> The film was released on November 23, 2016. Next, Zemeckis directed the fantasy drama ''[[Welcome to Marwen]]'', starring [[Steve Carell]], which was released in December 2018 to mixed reviews and flopped at the box office.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/welcome-to-marwen-review-steve-carell-movie-robert-zemeckis.html |title=Welcome to Marwen |first=Sam |last=Adams |work=Slate |date=December 19, 2018}}</ref> Zemeckis's film ''[[The Witches (2020 film)|The Witches]]'', an adaptation of the Roald Dahl [[The Witches (novel)|novel of the same name]], premiered on October 22, 2020, on [[HBO Max]], also to mixed reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rubin|first=Rebecca|date=October 2, 2020|title=Robert Zemeckis' 'The Witches' Skips Theaters for HBO Max Debut|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/box-office/robert-zemeckis-the-witches-hbo-max-1234790315/|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref>

On October 18, 2019, it was announced that Zemeckis is in talks to direct Disney's [[Pinocchio (2022 live-action film)|live-action adaptation]] of ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/disney-live-action-pinocchio-has-robert-zemeckis-circling-to-direct-1202763971/|title=Disney Live-Action 'Pinocchio' Has Robert Zemeckis Circling To Direct|magazine=Deadline|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=October 10, 2019}}</ref> Zemeckis was officially announced as the film's director and co-writer of the script in January 2020.<ref>{{cite web|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|title=Robert Zemeckis Closes Deal To Direct & Co-Write Disney's Live-Action 'Pinocchio'|url=https://deadline.com/2020/01/pinocchio-robert-zemeckis-to-direct-1202840440/|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=January 24, 2020}}</ref> In addition, [[Tom Hanks]] was reportedly announced as playing [[Mister Geppetto]] in the film, marking the fourth collaboration with Hanks since ''Forrest Gump'', ''Cast Away'', and ''The Polar Express''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kroll|first=Justin|date=August 5, 2020|title=Disney Eyeing Tom Hanks To Play Geppetto In Robert Zemeckis' 'Pinocchio'|url=https://deadline.com/2020/08/tom-hanks-geppetto-pinocchio-movie-robert-zemeckis-disney-1202998669/|access-date=August 6, 2020|website=Deadline|language=en}}</ref> The film was later released, as part of [[Disney+ Day]] on [[Disney+]], on September 8, 2022, to highly negative reviews from critics, nominated for six [[Razzies]], including [[Worst Picture]] and [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]] for Zemeckis ("winning" [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Remake, Rip-off or Sequel|Worst Remake]]), losing to ''[[Blonde (2022 film)|Blonde]]''. Despite this, it also received a [[Visual Effects Society Award]] nomination for Outstanding Animated Character in a Photoreal Feature.

On February 17, 2022, Zemeckis signed on to direct ''[[Here (2024 film)|Here]]'', an adaptation of the [[Here (comics)|graphic novel]] by [[Richard McGuire]], with [[Tom Hanks]] set to star and ''Forrest Gump'' screenwriter [[Eric Roth]] working on the screenplay with Zemeckis.<ref>{{cite web|date=February 17, 2022|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title=Hot Package: 'Forrest Gump' Trio Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Eric Roth Team For Graphic Novel Adaptation 'Here'|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/forrest-gump-trio-tom-hanks-robert-zemeckis-eric-roth-team-on-here-graphic-novel-adaptation-1234956407/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=May 12, 2022}}</ref> On May 11, it was announced that [[Robin Wright]] had been cast and that [[TriStar Pictures]] had acquired distribution rights for the United States, with [[Miramax]] handling international sales and production expected to begin in September 2022 for a theatrical release in 2024.<ref>{{cite web|date=May 11, 2022|last=Fleming|first=Mike Jr.|title=Sony Pictures Lands U.S. Rights To Miramax's 'Here'; Robin Wright Joins Tom Hanks, Robert Zemeckis, Eric Roth In 'Forrest Gump' Reteam – Cannes Market|url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/robin-wright-tom-hanks-robert-zemeckis-eric-roth-forest-gump-reteam-sony-pictures-miramax-1235021582/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|access-date=May 12, 2022}}</ref> On October 31, 2024, Zemeckis, during an appearance on Josh Horowitz's ''Happy Sad Confused'' podcast to promote ''Here'', hinted at his plans to produce and direct a film adaptation of the stage musical version of ''Back to the Future'' that would also serve as a remake of the original film. Universal has yet to green-light the project after an initial rejection of Zemeckis' pitch to the studio.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/back-to-the-future-movie-musical-robert-zemeckis-interest/ | title=Robert Zemeckis Wants to Make Another Back to the Future Movie (With a Twist) | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=November 2024 }}</ref>

== Style and recognition ==
Zemeckis is regarded as an innovator in [[visual effects]].<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-robert-zemeckis-cinematic-innovations-pictures-photogallery.html | title= Robert Zemeckis's cinematic innovations | work=[[Los Angeles Times]] | first1=Patrick Kevin | last1=Day | first2=Jevon |last2=Phillips | date= October 19, 2012 | access-date=November 19, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.indiewire.com/2015/10/robert-zemeckis-is-an-important-filmmaker-even-when-he-fails-57000/ | title= Robert Zemeckis is An Important Filmmaker (Even When He Fails) | work=[[IndieWire]] | first=Greg | last=Cwik | date=October 7, 2015 | access-date=November 19, 2021}}</ref> His exploration of state-of-the-art visual effects includes the early use of [[match moving|computer graphics inserted into live-action footage]]
in ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' (1989) and ''Forrest Gump'', the insertion of hand-drawn animation into live-action footage in ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', and the [[motion capture]] techniques seen in ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]'' (2004), ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]'' (2007), ''[[A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (2009), and ''[[Welcome to Marwen]]'' (2018). He is known for his collaboration with composer [[Alan Silvestri]], with whom he has worked since ''Romancing the Stone''. [[David Thomson (film critic)|David Thomson]], a prominent film critic, wrote that "no other contemporary director has used visual effects to more dramatic and narrative purpose."<ref name="Thomson 985">{{cite book| last=Thomson| first=David| title=[[The New Biographical Dictionary of Film]]| page=985}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Zemeckis was married to actress [[Mary Ellen Trainor]] from 1980 until their divorce in 2000, and they had a son together named Alexander Francis.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} He described the marriage as difficult to balance with his career.<ref name="achieve"/> In 2001, he married actress [[Leslie Zemeckis|Leslie Harter]] in [[Venice]].<ref name="AD1">{{Cite web |last=Giovannini |first=Joseph |date=2016-10-21 |title=Robert Zemeckis's Vacation Home Is a Castle in Italy |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/robert-zemeckis-italy-vacation-home |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=TCM Biography |title=Robert Zemeckis |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/212314%7C0/Robert-Zemeckis#overview |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref> They have three children together.<ref name=roseobit/><ref name="AD1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kogan |first=Rock |date=2018-11-07 |title=Let 'em entertain you: Faith Bacon and Sally Rand are the subjects of 'Feuding Fan Dancers' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2018/11/07/let-em-entertain-you-faith-bacon-and-sally-rand-are-the-subjects-of-feuding-fan-dancers/ |access-date=2024-11-19 |website=Chicago Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref> They reside in [[Santa Barbara, California]],<ref name="AD1" /> and own a villa in [[Tuscany]] which is located on the ruins of a 10th century castle.<ref name="AD1" />

Zemeckis has discussed sacrificing his personal life for his career over a long period of time, stating, "I won an Academy Award when I was 42 years old, but I paid for it with my 20s. That decade of my life from film school 'til 30 was nothing but work, nothing but absolute, driving work. I had no money. I had no life."<ref name="achieve"/>

Zemeckis is a [[private pilot]] who has logged approximately 1,600 hours of flight time {{as of|2012|October|lc=y}},<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-denzel-zemeckis-ca-flight-20121021,0,6995683,full.story|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028003350/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-denzel-zemeckis-ca-flight-20121021,0,6995683,full.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 28, 2012|title=How the movie 'Flight' got off the ground|first=John|last=Horn|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 20, 2012|access-date=October 20, 2012}}</ref> flying a [[Cirrus SR22]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/31/director-robert-zemeckis-comes-back-to-live-action-for-flight.|title=Director Robert Zemeckis comes back to live-action for Flight|date=October 31, 2012|newspaper=Toronto Sun}}</ref>

According to campaign donation records, Zemeckis has frequently contributed to [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] politicians and [[Political action committee|PACs]] that support the interests of aircraft owners and pilots, [[family planning]], and a group that advocates for women in Hollywood.<ref>[http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Robert_Zemeckis.php Robert Zemeckis profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403001522/http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Robert_Zemeckis.php|date=April 3, 2013}}, newsmeat.com; accessed August 27, 2014.</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=February 2023}}

==Filmography==
===Feature film===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Director
! scope="col" | Writer
! scope="col" | Producer
|-
! scope="row" | 1978
| ''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand (film)|I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1979
| ''[[1941 (film)|1941]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1980
| ''[[Used Cars]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1984
| ''[[Romancing the Stone]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1985
| ''[[Back to the Future]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1988
| ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1989
| ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{partial|Story}}
| {{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1990
| ''[[Back to the Future Part III]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{partial|Story}}
| {{no}}
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" | 1992
| ''[[Death Becomes Her]]''
|{{yes}}
| {{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
| ''[[Trespass (1992 film)|Trespass]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{partial|Executive}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1994
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1996
| ''[[Bordello of Blood]]''
| {{no}}
| {{partial|Story}}
| {{partial|Executive}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1997
| ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]''
|{{yes}}
| {{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="row" | 2000
| ''[[What Lies Beneath]]''
|{{yes}}
| {{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
|''[[Cast Away]]''
|{{yes}}
| {{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2004
| ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2007
| ''[[Beowulf (2007 film)|Beowulf]]''
|{{yes}}
| {{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2009
| ''[[A Christmas Carol (2009 film)|A Christmas Carol]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2012
| ''[[Flight (2012 film)|Flight]]''
|{{yes}}
| {{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2015
| ''[[The Walk (2015 film)|The Walk]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2016
|''[[Allied (film)|Allied]]''
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2018
| ''[[Welcome to Marwen]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2020
|''[[The Witches (2020 film)|The Witches]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2022
|''[[Pinocchio (2022 live-action film)|Pinocchio]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 2024
| ''[[Here (2024 film)|Here]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | TBA
| ''[[The Last Mrs. Parrish]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|}
'''Short film'''
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" width="65" | Director
! scope="col" width="65" | Writer
|-
! scope="row" | 1972
|''The Lift''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|-
! scope="row" | 1973
|''A Field of Honor'' |''A Field of Honor''
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|}

{{col-float|style=width:33em}}
'''Producer'''
* ''[[Demon Knight|Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight]]'' (1995)
* ''[[House on Haunted Hill (1999 film)|House on Haunted Hill]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Thirteen Ghosts]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Ghost Ship (2002 film)|Ghost Ship]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Gothika]]'' (2003)
* ''[[House of Wax (2005 film)|House of Wax]]'' (2005)
* ''[[The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio]]'' (2005)
* ''[[The Reaping]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Mars Needs Moms]]'' (2011)
{{col-float-break|style=width:33em}}
'''Executive producer'''
* ''[[The Public Eye (film)|The Public Eye]]'' (1992)
* ''[[The Frighteners]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Matchstick Men]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Last Holiday (2006 film)|Last Holiday]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Monster House (film)|Monster House]]'' (2006)
* ''[[Behind the Burly Q]]'' (2010)
* ''[[Real Steel]]'' (2011)
* ''Bound by Flesh'' (2012) (documentary)
* ''[[Finch (film)|Finch]]'' (2021)
{{col-float-end}}

{{col-float|style=width:33em}}
'''Executive Soundtrack Producer'''
* ''Forrest Gump'' (1994)
{{col-float-end}}

===Television===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" width="60"| Director
! scope="col" width="60"| Executive<br />producer
! scope="col" | Writer
! scope="col" | Creator
! scope="col" | Notes
|-
! scope="row" | 1975
|''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]''
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|{{partial|story}}
| {{no}}
| Episode: "Chopper"
|-
! scope="row" | 1984
|''Used Cars''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Unsold pilot
|-
! scope="row" | 1986
| ''[[Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)|Amazing Stories]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Episode: "Go to the Head of the Class"
|-
! scope="row" | 1989–1996
|''[[Tales from the Crypt (TV series)|Tales from the Crypt]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| Executive producer: all episodes
Director: "And All Through the House", "Yellow", and "You, Murderer"
|-
! scope="row" | 1991–1992
|[[Back to the Future (TV series)|''Back to the Future'']]
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | 1993
| ''[[Johnny Bago]]''
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|{{partial|story}}
| {{yes}}
| Episode: "Johnny Bago Free at Last"
|-
! scope="row" | 1999
| ''The Pursuit of Happiness: Smoking,<br>Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century''
|{{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
| TV documentary in the series "In the 20th Century"<ref name="tws2G44ee">{{cite news
 |first= Andy
 |last= Meisler
 |title= TELEVISION/RADIO; Getting Down to What Makes America High
 |work= The New York Times
 |date= August 29, 1999
|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/29/arts/television-radio-getting-down-to-what-makes-america-high.html?src=pm
 |access-date= May 7, 2012
}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2018
| ''[[Medal of Honor (TV series)|Medal of Honor]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2018–2023
| ''[[Manifest (TV series)|Manifest]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2019–2020
|''[[Project Blue Book (TV series)|Project Blue Book]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|
|-
! scope="row" | 2019
|''[[What/If]]''
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|{{no}}
|{{no}}
|
|}

== Awards and nominations ==
{|class= "wikitable plainrowheaders" 
! Organizations
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Project
! scope="col"| Result
|-
! scope="row", rowspan=2|[[Academy Award]]
| 1985
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| ''[[Back to the Future]]''
| {{nom}}
|- 
| 1994
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row", rowspan=5| [[BAFTA Awards]]
|rowspan=2|1985
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|rowspan=2|''[[Back to the Future]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1994
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
|rowspan=2|''[[Forrest Gump]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2004
| [[British Academy Children's Award for Feature Film|Best Feature Film]]
| ''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[César Award]]
| [[14th César Awards|1988]]
| [[César Award for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Film]]
|rowspan=2|''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row", rowspan=3|[[Chicago Film Critics Association]]
| 1985
|rowspan=3|[[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{won}}
|-
| 1994
| ''Forrest Gump''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2000
| ''[[Cast Away]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Daytime Emmy Award]]
| [[24th Daytime Emmy Awards|1997]]
| [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show|Outstanding Game Show]]
| ''[[Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row", rowspan="2" | [[Directors Guild of America]]
| [[41st Directors Guild of America Awards|1989]]
|rowspan=2|[[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directing - Feature Film]]
| ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[47th Directors Guild of America Awards|1994]]
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row", rowspan=2|[[Golden Globe Awards]]
| 1985
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| ''[[Back to the Future]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1994
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| ''[[Forrest Gump]]''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row", rowspan=3|[[Golden Raspberry Awards]]
|rowspan=3|2023
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture|Worst Picture]]
|rowspan=3|''[[Pinocchio (2022 live-action film)|Disney's Pinocchio]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay|Worst Screenplay]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Las Vegas Film Critics Society]]
| 2000
| Best Director
| ''Cast Away'' 
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Student Academy Award]]
| 1973
| Special Jury Prize - Dramatic
| ''A Field of Honor''
| {{won}}
|-
! scope="row", rowspan="2" |[[Venice International Film Festival]]
| [[42nd Venice International Film Festival|1985]]
| Young Venice Award
| ''Back to the Future''
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1988
| Special Mention
| ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''
| {{nom}}
|-
! scope="row"| [[Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America]]
| 1985
| Best Original Screenplay
| ''[[Back to the Future]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

*In 1996, Zemeckis received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]] presented by Awards Council member [[George Lucas]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/}}</ref>
*In 1998, Zemeckis received the [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]]'s [[1988 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards|Special Achievement Award]]. 
*On November 5, 2004, Zemeckis received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his work in Motion Picture at 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

'''Accolades received by individual films'''
<!--Table is for nominations & wins received only by films directed by Zemeckis. DO NOT INCLUDE FILMS THAT WEREN'T DIRECTED BY HIM-->
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Academy Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| BAFTA Awards
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| Golden Globe Awards
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
|1984
|''[[Romancing the Stone]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|2
|-
|1985
|''[[Back to the Future]]''
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|align=center|5
|
|align=center|4
|
|-
|1988
|''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''
|align=center|7
|align=center|3
|align=center|5
|align=center|1
|align=center|2
|
|-
|1989
|''[[Back to the Future Part II]]''
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|
|
|-
|1992
|''[[Death Becomes Her]]''
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|
|-
|1994
|''[[Forrest Gump]]''
|align=center|13
|align=center|6
|align=center|8
|align=center|1
|align=center|7
|align=center|3
|-
|1997
|''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|2000
|''[[Cast Away]]''
|align=center|2
|
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|-
|2004
|''[[The Polar Express (film)|The Polar Express]]''
|align=center|3
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|2012
|''[[Flight (2012 film)|Flight]]''
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|2016
|''[[Allied (film)|Allied]]''
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!align=center|36
!align=center|11
!align=center|22
!align=center|4
!align=center|20
!align=center|6
|}

'''Directed Academy Award performances'''<br />Under Zemeckis' direction, these actors have received [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations and wins for their performances in their respective roles.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Performer
!Film
!Result
|-
! colspan="4" |[[Academy Award for Best Actor]]
|-
|[[67th Academy Awards|1994]]
|rowspan="2" |[[Tom Hanks]]
|''[[Forrest Gump]]''
|{{Won}}
|-
|[[73rd Academy Awards|2000]]
|''[[Cast Away]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
|[[85th Academy Awards|2012]]
|[[Denzel Washington]]
|''[[Flight (2012 film)|Flight]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
! colspan="4" |[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
|[[67th Academy Awards|1994]]
|[[Gary Sinise]]
|''[[Forrest Gump]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
|}
==See also==
* [[CinemaScore#List of "A+" films|Directors with two films rated "A+" by CinemaScore]]
* [[Robert Zemeckis' unproduced projects]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb name|709}}
*{{Charlie Rose view|1210}}
*{{NYTtopic|people/z/robert_zemeckis}}

{{Robert Zemeckis}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Robert Zemeckis
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Director}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardFeatureFilm 1980–1999}}
{{The George Pal Memorial Award}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Director}}
}}
{{Back to the Future}}
{{Forrest Gump}}
{{Dark Castle Entertainment}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zemeckis, Robert}}
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