The Polar Express (film)

The Polar Express is a 2004 American animated Christmasadventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with William Broyles Jr., based on the 1985 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. It stars Tom Hanks in multiple roles, along with Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen. It depicts human characters using live action and motion capture computer animation, with production sequences for the latter taking place from June 2003 to May 2004. Set on Christmas Eve, it tells the story of a young boy who travels to the North Pole aboard a magical train guided by its conductor.

The film premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 13, 2004, and was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on November 10. It received mixed reviews from critics and initially grossed $286 million against a record-breaking $165–170 million budget, which was the highest for an animated feature at the time. Later re-releases helped propel the film's gross to $318.2million worldwide. As of 2024, a sequel is in development.