The director of the groundbreaking 1988 animated film is adamant about a hypothetical sequel.
In 1988, Robert Zemeckis released his best film: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, astonishing audiences with its groundbreaking technical achievement of mixing live actors with animated characters, marking a huge advancement in animation (you can watch it on Disney+), and leaving an entire generation in awe.
As we noted in our review of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, it’s an “imaginative blend of animation and live action with splendidly executed scenes,” and more than 35 years after its release, Zemeckis’ film remains one of the best animated films in cinema history, combining the unlikely mix of absurd humor with detective noir, representing a bold, refreshing, and high-quality type of cinema.
The movie introduces us to Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a private detective hired by R.K. Maroon, owner of Maroon Cartoons, to find out if the ongoing distractions of his star, Roger Rabbit, are the fault of his wife, the femme fatale Jessica Rabbit. During his investigation, Valiant uncovers an entire plot led by the fearsome Judge Doom to wipe out the animated residents of Toon Town.
The film’s success with both critics and audiences turned Zemeckis’ movie into a cult classic, and with the current trend of sequels, many have wondered about the real possibility of a second installment ever seeing the light of day.
Now, promoting the release of Here, a drama starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, the filmmaker appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. During the conversation, the host asked the director about a possible sequel to Roger Rabbit.
To our disappointment, Zemeckis noted: “There is a good script at Disney, but here’s what you need to know: today’s Disney would never make Roger Rabbit,” said Zemeckis. “They can’t make a movie with Jessica Rabbit.”
The Back to the Future director, responsible for one of the greatest science fiction films in cinematic history, pointed to Jessica Rabbit’s new look in Toontown at Disneyland, which is entirely different from her appearance in the 1988 movie.
“Look at what they did to Jessica in the theme park,” he said. “She’s shown in a trench coat, you know…”
In 2021, Disneyland updated Jessica Rabbit’s appearance at the Anaheim park in California, changing her iconic red dress to a trench coat, supposedly more fitting for her new career as a private investigator, taking inspiration from Eddie Valiant, the character Bob Hoskins portrayed.
In this case, it’s not that Jessica Rabbit is the villain of the story… it’s just that they drew her that way.
