Tagline: This Holiday Season… Believe!
Tom Hanks produces and stars in this screen adaptation of the beloved children’s book of the same name written by Jumanji author Chris Van Allsburg. Polar Express tells the story of a boy who maintains his belief in Santa Claus despite the teasing of his more cynical friends.
The boy’s conviction is rewarded one Christmas Eve when a steam train, guided by Hanks, appears in front of his house and carries him and his disbelieving friends off to the North Pole. Robert Zemeckis is onboard to produce and possibly direct.
A young boy lies awake in his room one snowy Christmas Eve, excited and alert.
Breathing silently. Hardly moving. Waiting.
He’s listening for a sound he’s afraid that he might never hear – the ringing bells of Santa’s sleigh.
The time is five minutes to midnight. Suddenly, the boy is startled by a thunderous roar. Clearing the mist from his window he sees the most amazing sight – a gleaming black train rumbles to a stop right in front of his house, the steam from its powerful engine hissing through the night sky and the softly falling snowflakes.
The boy rushes outside, clad only in his pajamas and slippers, and is met by the train’s conductor who seems to be waiting just for him.
“Well, are you coming?” the conductor asks.
“Where?”
“Why, to the North Pole, of course. This is the Polar Express!”
The Polar Express is a 2004 American 3D computer-animated Christmas musical fantasy film based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, who served as one of the executive producers on the film. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film features human characters animated using live action motion capture animation. The film stars Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen, with Tom Hanks in six distinct roles. The film also included a performance by Tinashe at age 9, who later gained exposure as a pop singer in 2010, as the CGI-model for the female protagonist.
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The Polar Express (2004)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen, Michael Jeter, Brendan King, Andy Pellick, Mark Goodman, Rolandas Hendricks, Gregory Gast
Screenplay by: Robert Zemeckis, William Broyles Jr.
Production Design by: Rick Carter, Doug Chiang
Cinematography by: Don Burgess, Robert Presley
Film Editing by: R. Orlando Duenas, Jeremiah O’Driscoll
Costume Design by: Joanna Johnston
Set Decoration by: Karen O’Hara
Music by: Alan Silvestri
MPAA Rating: G for general audience.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: November 10, 2004
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