ImageMovers
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn American film and television production company founded by filmmaker Robert Zemeckis.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
ImageMovers is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. The business was incorporated on March 1, 1984, under the name South Side Amusement Company and was initially associated closely with Zemeckis's own filmmaking activities. It later developed into a more formal production operation, with producer Steve Starkey joining as a business partner in the early 1990s and producer Jack Rapke becoming part of the company around the 1997 rebranding. The company adopted the ImageMovers name in 1997 as it expanded its relationships with major studios and pursued projects across live-action cinema, computer-generated animation, motion-capture filmmaking, and television production. During its early period, the company operated under a production arrangement with Universal Pictures following the success of the Back to the Future films. It was involved in films including Death Becomes Her, Trespass, The Public Eye, and The Frighteners, while Zemeckis's Contact was produced with Warner Bros. Pictures. ImageMovers also participated in Chicago Five Productions, a group associated with the television series Johnny Bago. After the 1997 rebrand, the company entered a non-exclusive feature-film arrangement with DreamWorks Pictures and produced or co-produced a series of commercially prominent films. These included What Lies Beneath, Cast Away, Matchstick Men, The Polar Express, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, Last Holiday, Monster House, and Beowulf. The company's identity became strongly connected with Zemeckis's preference for technically ambitious visual storytelling and, particularly, performance-capture production. The most significant corporate development in ImageMovers's history was its joint venture with The Walt Disney Company. Established in 2007 as ImageMovers Digital, the venture operated from converted aircraft hangars in Marin County, California, and was designed to make animated films using motion-capture and computer-generated imagery. Its first released production was A Christmas Carol, released in 2009 and featuring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright, and Cary Elwes in multiple roles. The second production, Mars Needs Moms, followed in 2011. Neither film achieved the commercial performance expected by Disney, and Disney announced in March 2010 that ImageMovers Digital would close after completing the second film. The decision resulted in the layoff of approximately 450 employees and ended a number of projects in development, including a motion-capture version of Yellow Submarine, a proposed sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Calling All Robots, and an adaptation of The Nutcracker. Following the Disney shutdown, ImageMovers entered a two-year first-look producing agreement with Universal Pictures in 2011. The company also broadened its television activities. Its television work included The Borgias, which aired on Showtime from 2011 to 2013. In 2016, the company established Compari Entertainment as a television division. Compari's first announced series was Manifest, which premiered on NBC in 2018. ImageMovers has continued to be associated with projects developed by Zemeckis and its producing partners, although the available reference material does not establish a complete current corporate structure, ownership arrangement, headquarters, or detailed present-day production slate.
History
ImageMovers began on March 1, 1984, when Robert Zemeckis incorporated the South Side Amusement Company. The entity initially functioned largely as a vehicle for Zemeckis's film work. In the early 1990s, after the commercial success of the Back to the Future films, the company entered a production relationship with Universal Pictures. It was associated with Death Becomes Her, Trespass, The Public Eye, and The Frighteners, while Contact was made with Warner Bros. Pictures. The company was also connected with Chicago Five Productions, a group associated with the television series Johnny Bago. In 1997, South Side Amusement Company was renamed ImageMovers. The reorganization coincided with the involvement of Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, both of whom became important producing collaborators for Zemeckis. ImageMovers entered a non-exclusive feature-film arrangement with DreamWorks Pictures. Its early productions under the ImageMovers name included What Lies Beneath, Cast Away, Matchstick Men, The Polar Express, The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio, Last Holiday, Monster House, and Beowulf. These projects covered live-action drama and comedy, computer animation, and performance-capture filmmaking, establishing the company as a flexible production banner rather than a conventional studio with a broad distribution infrastructure. The company's most consequential expansion came in 2007, when it and The Walt Disney Company created ImageMovers Digital. The joint venture was based in converted aircraft hangars in Marin County, California, and was intended to produce animated features through motion-capture techniques. A Christmas Carol, released in 2009, was the venture's first completed film. Mars Needs Moms followed in 2011. Both films were commercially disappointing according to the cited reference material, and Disney announced in March 2010 that the facility would close after the second film was completed. The shutdown reportedly affected approximately 450 employees. Several projects were abandoned or left without the Disney arrangement, including Calling All Robots, a motion-capture remake of Yellow Submarine, a proposed Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel, and The Nutcracker. In August 2011, ImageMovers entered a two-year first-look producing arrangement with Universal Pictures. Its television activities included The Borgias, which aired on Showtime between 2011 and 2013. In 2016, the company created Compari Entertainment as a television-focused division. Compari's first announced series was Manifest, which debuted on NBC in 2018. The available references continue to associate ImageMovers with film and television development, including projects involving Zemeckis, but do not provide enough information to establish a definitive current ownership structure, operating headquarters, or complete list of active productions.
- 2018
Manifest premiered
[1]Manifest, identified as Compari Entertainment's first television series, premiered on NBC.
- 2016
Compari Entertainment founded
[1]ImageMovers established Compari Entertainment as a television division.
- 2011
Universal first-look arrangement announced
[1]ImageMovers entered a two-year first-look producing relationship with Universal Pictures.
- 2010
Disney announced ImageMovers Digital closure
[1]Disney announced that the joint venture would shut down after completing Mars Needs Moms.
- 2009
A Christmas Carol released
[1]The ImageMovers Digital production became the venture's first released feature.
- 2007
ImageMovers Digital launched with Disney
[1]ImageMovers and Disney established a joint venture dedicated to motion-capture animated features.
- 1997
Company renamed ImageMovers
[1]The South Side Amusement Company was rebranded as ImageMovers as the production business formalized its relationships with producers and studios.
- 1984
South Side Amusement Company incorporated
[1]Robert Zemeckis incorporated the company on March 1, 1984, initially using the name South Side Amusement Company.
Products and positioning
A filmmaker-led production company focused on feature films and television, with a particular association with Robert Zemeckis's live-action, animation, and performance-capture projects.
Motion-capture animated feature film · 2004
The Polar Express
A feature-length adaptation of the children's book made using performance-capture filmmaking. The film became one of the most prominent early projects associated with ImageMovers's interest in digitally created characters and motion-capture production.
Motion-capture animated feature film · 2009
A Christmas Carol
A 2009 adaptation of Charles Dickens's novella produced through ImageMovers Digital for Walt Disney Pictures. Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright, and Cary Elwes performed multiple roles in the motion-capture production.
Motion-capture animated feature film · 2011
Mars Needs Moms
The second feature made by ImageMovers Digital. Its commercial performance contributed to Disney's decision to discontinue the joint venture after the film's completion.
Television series · 2011
The Borgias
A historical television drama associated with ImageMovers's television production activities. The series aired on Showtime from 2011 through 2013.
Television series · 2018
Manifest
A television series identified in the reference material as the first series from Compari Entertainment, ImageMovers's television division. It premiered on NBC in 2018.
Brand decisions
2011
Enter a first-look producing arrangement with Universal PicturesStrategyBackground
After the end of the Disney production venture, ImageMovers needed a new studio relationship for feature-film development and production.
Action taken
ImageMovers entered a reported two-year first-look producing deal with Universal Pictures.
Aftermath
The agreement repositioned ImageMovers around a conventional studio production relationship following the closure of ImageMovers Digital.
2010
Close ImageMovers DigitalStrategyBackground
The joint venture's two released motion-capture features did not achieve the commercial results expected by Disney, and the company reassessed the facility's fit with its business model.
Action taken
Disney announced that ImageMovers Digital would cease operations after the completion of Mars Needs Moms.
Aftermath
Approximately 450 employees were laid off, and several projects in development were abandoned or discontinued, including proposed projects related to Yellow Submarine and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
2007
Create ImageMovers Digital with DisneyM&ABackground
ImageMovers sought to expand its work in digitally created animation and motion-capture filmmaking through a dedicated facility and a partnership with a major entertainment company.
Action taken
ImageMovers and The Walt Disney Company formed ImageMovers Digital in Marin County, California, to produce animated features for Walt Disney Pictures.
Aftermath
The venture released A Christmas Carol and Mars Needs Moms, but Disney announced its closure in 2010 after the second film was completed.
Sources1 sources
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