Disney pulls the plug on Zemeckis performance capture company

It doesn’t look like filmmaker Robert Zemeckis will get the chance to keep improving his “performance capture” animation process. At least not on Disney’s dime.

The Mouse House is closing down Zemeckis’ ImageMovers Digital studios, and will phase out its 450 employees over the next nine months. Disney honcho Alan Bergman said: “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.”

Since the holiday zombies of POLAR EXPRESS, Zemeckis has been refining the process on his projects BEOWULF and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The company’s upcoming MARS NEEDS MOMS will be the final performance capture feature from the four-year-old company.

Disney still wants to continue a working relationship with Zemeckis, but it seems like his 3D update of the Beatles’ YELLOW SUBMARINE is now in question.