Robert Zemeckis knows How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack

The poor box-office performance of Mars Needs Moms hasn't deterred Robert Zemeckis from moving forward with another motion-capture movie.

Zemeckis and his ImageMovers Digital studio are attached to produce How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack for Sony Pictures Animation.

The film is based on a book by Chuck Sambuchino, and, despite reports to the contrary, The Hollywood Reporter is insisting that the film won't be an R-rated comedy.

While the thought of a Shaun of the Dead -style animation is extremely appealing, it's no surprise that the studio wants to play it safe after the recent disappointment of Mars Needs Moms .

The official synopsis describes the book as: "the only comprehensive survival guide that will help you prevent, prepare for, and ward off an imminent home invasion by the common garden gnome.

"Once thought of as harmless yard decorations, evidence is mounting that these smiling lawn statues are poised and ready to wreck havoc. The danger is real. And it’s here."

Zemeckis currently has time on his hands, as his planned mo-cap remake of The Beatles' Yellow Submarine was dumped by Disney over cost concerns.

Matt Maytum
Editor, Total Film

I'm the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.