The train then stops to pick up a boy named Billy.
Although reluctant at first, the boy climbs aboard and meets a spirited girl and a smart know-it-all boy. The conductor of the train claims that it is on its way to the North Pole. On the night of Christmas Eve in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a boy, who is growing skeptical about the existence of Santa Claus, sees a steam-hauled train named the Polar Express outside his house. The film also marks Michael Jeter's last acting role before his death, and the film was thus dedicated to his memory. The Polar Express was released in both conventional and IMAX 3D theaters on Novemand grossed $286 million worldwide during its initial run ($314 million with subsequent re-releases) and was later listed in the 2006 Guinness World Records as the first all-digital capture film. The film was made with a production budget of $165 million, a record-breaking sum for an animated feature at the time. Its visual effects and performance capture were done at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Pictures, as Castle Rock's first animated film. The film stars Tom Hanks, also one of the film's executive producers, in multiple distinct roles, with Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen in supporting roles.Ĭastle Rock Entertainment produced the film in association with Shangri-La Entertainment, ImageMovers, Playtone, and Golden Mean Productions for Warner Bros. The boy joins several other children as they embark on a journey to visit Santa Claus preparing for Christmas.
It tells the story of a young boy who, on Christmas Eve, sees a mysterious train bound for the North Pole stop outside his window and is invited aboard by its conductor. The film features human characters animated using live-action motion-capture animation. The Polar Express is a 2004 American computer-animated Christmas musical fantasy adventure film co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the 1985 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, who also served as one of the executive producers.