ImageMovers Digital’s facility in Marin County is slated to shut down in January, following completion of its current film project, Mars Needs Moms.
The studio, co-founded by filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, was set up in 2007 at Disney as the main effects, motion capture and animation facility for Zemeckis’ films.
The partnership produced the Zemeckis-directed film Disney’s A Christmas Carol, which starred Jim Carrey in multiple mo-cap roles. The film was released in 3-D in November and grossed a disappointing $137 million domestically and $185 million in international markets.
Disney, which has come under new management in the past year, said the studio no longer pencils out financially for the studio.
‘Bob and the entire IMD team successfully built a state of the art studio and produced an amazing film, A Christmas Carol, at a time when the dynamics of the industry are rapidly changing,’ said Alan Bergman, President of The Walt Disney Studios. ‘But, given today’s economic realities, we need to find alternative ways to bring creative content to audiences and IMD no longer fits into our business model.’
‘I’m incredibly proud of the talented team that we assembled at IMD and the fantastic work they have accomplished,’ said Zemeckis. ‘Their pride and dedication to making quality movies is evident in everything we have produced.’
Disney said it would like to forge a new deal with Zemeckis and his partners that would include the director’s planned remake of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.
Prior to coming to Disney, Zemeckis was based at Columbia/Sony, where he directed Beowulf and was executive producer on Monster House.
