In 1988, Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis dazzled audiences with his groundbreaking live-action/animation hybrid detective comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit. This writer as a child was blown away by the stunning visuals and the early use of universe-building with the Disney and Looney Tunes characters. Though Zemeckis desired a sequel about Roger’s later adventures, the current regime at Disney resists making it for one reason: Jessica Rabbit.

Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote his latest Tom Hanks drama Here, Zemeckis revealed that there is a sequel script from the original film’s writers. Unfortunately, Disney has it sitting on a shelf due to studio politics:

“There’s a good script [for a sequel] at Disney, but here’s the thing: The current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today. They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it.”

Adding that the Roger Rabbit 2 script “isn’t ever going see the light of day, as good as it is,” Zemeckis was transparent about Disney’s awkwardness around the Jessica Rabbit character. Voiced by Kathleen Turner with a musical voice provided by Amy Irving in the original film, Jessica was a Veronica Lake-inspired cartoon character with the most voluptuous design that Disney has ever created. While Roger Rabbit remains a staple of Disney lore, Zemeckis slammed the House of Mouse for censoring Jessica at the theme parks.

“I mean, look what they did to Jessica at the theme park. They trussed her up in a trench coat, you know.”

Based on Gary K. Wolf’s 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit, the 1988 film stars the late Bob Hoskins as 1940s Hollywood private eye Eddie Valiant working reluctantly with the fugitive cartoon star framed for murdering his studio boss. The two get hunted by the vicious Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) and his gang of weasels. Dazzling critics and audiences, Who Framed Roger Rabbit amassed a worldwide gross of $351 million and play a key role in launching the Disney renaissance of the era.

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Though there were a few Roger Rabbit shorts released in front of subsequent hit Disney films, many follow-up plans were discarded over the years. Some included a World War II-era prequel with the toons drafted to combat and a ’50s-era sequel featuring a digitized ghost of Eddie Valiant to address Hoskins’ untimely passing. As Disney is not too keen on revisiting the character, Zemeckis explained why Who Framed Roger Rabbit was perfect for the time it was made:

“We were able to make it right at the time when Disney was ready to rebuild itself. We were there when that new regime came in, and they were full of energy, and they wanted to do it. I kept saying, and I sincerely say this, I do believe this, ‘I’m making Roger Rabbit the way I believe Walt Disney would have made it.’ The reason I say that is because Walt Disney never made any of his movies for children. He always made them for adults. And that’s what I decided to do with Roger Rabbit.”


Are you relieved or disappointed that Roger Rabbit 2 will never be made? Let us know in the comments below.

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