Who doesn’t have a fond memory of the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The movie has long been a celebrated mix of live-action and animation, lauded for its groundbreaking blend of classic Hollywood noir with cartoon humor.
Despite its acclaim, fans have waited decades for a sequel to see the light of day. Now, director Robert Zemeckis offers clarity on why Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 may never happen; and honestly, it makes quite a bit of sense.
According to Zemeckis, the script for a sequel does indeed exist. It was penned by original screenwriters Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, yet Disney’s current leadership reportedly has no interest in bringing the characters back to the screen. During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zemeckis disclosed that Disney’s changing priorities play a significant role in the decision.
As Zemeckis explained, “the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today.” The director highlighted that Disney’s reluctance to revisit the film. This is due, in part, to the portrayal of Jessica Rabbit, one of the movie’s iconic characters. It seems that Jessica Rabbit’s classic femme fatale look, based upon archetypes found in old noir films of the 30s and 40s – but also pop up in modern films such as Original Sin, and Babalyon – is a bit too much for the current brass.
Which does add up when you consider how Jessica’s image has been altered in recent years. This is most notable in Disney’s theme parks, where she now appears in a trench coat—a shift that seems emblematic of Disney’s current stance on suggestive characters. Zemeckis remarked, “Look what they did to Jessica at the theme park; they trussed her in a trench coat.”
Though Jessica Rabbit is a hurdle, she’s only one of many. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? also presents a unique challenge in terms of intellectual property rights. The original film was an unprecedented collaboration between studios, including Warner Bros., which allowed Disney to use Looney Tunes characters alongside its own iconic cast.
Today, arranging such deals would be far more challenging, given the tightening grip studios hold on their intellectual properties; this is even after Disney’s own personal catalog of IPs has vastly grown over the years. Though Zemeckis did not elaborate on this point in his discussion, he hinted that the changing entertainment landscape makes a similar agreement unlikely.
Another key obstacle in making a sequel lies in the passing of Bob Hoskins. A brilliant character actor, the late Hoskins portrayed private investigator Eddie Valiant in the original film. Zemeckis noted that the sequel script was written to include Eddie Valiant’s presence as a ghostly character. Hoskins’ death in 2014, however, makes this concept challenging. Zemeckis explained, “When the sequel was written… Eddie was no longer with us, but he would show up as a ghost in certain times.” The director expressed that the thought of replacing Hoskins would not align with the spirit of the film, especially since Eddie Valiant was integral to the movie’s success.
So as we can see, the prospect of a Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel, according to Zemeckis, appears slim as there are too many hurdles to overcome. From Disney’s current corporate stance to the challenge of properly honoring Hoskins’ character without his presence, it’s unlikely that we will get a sequel to the film; but one also has to ask, is there really a need for one?