‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Director Claims Sequel Script Exists But It Isn’t on Disney’s Radar

Recent years have seen Hollywood prove that no film is “sacred,” despite how passionate its fanbase might be. Robert Zemeckis directed 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which earned a rabid following since its release. The filmmaker recently confirmed that a script for a follow-up film does exist, though the nature of the narrative might prevent it from being a priority at Disney.

“I don’t think so. I don’t know where it fits in in their universe. There’s no princess in it, so I don’t know where that would be,” the filmmaker shared with Yahoo! when asked if the studio was interested in the project. “There’s a wonderful script sitting at Disney that is really good, but I don’t think it’s on their radar.”

While the original film is rated PG, it explored a world in which cartoons and humans lived together in somewhat “harmony.” That is, until a private detective (Bob Hoskins) is hired to investigate claims of adultery, ultimately leading towards an adventure full of slapstick comedy and murder. The film might not be gratuitously violent or sexual, but it is far more mature than most other Disney films, with it understandably being a difficult sequel to market.

The filmmaker previously teased details about the script to The Telegraph, describing it as moving Roger and Jessica Rabbit “into the next few years of period film, moving on from film noir to the world of the 1950s”. With star Hoskins having passed away in 2014, the director admitted “it would be very hard to do but we would do a digital Bob Hoskins” and would also be “more a continuation than a sequel.”

Zemeckis claims that, not only is Disney seemingly uninterested, but that it’s a difficult task delivering fans a fulfilling sequel that they aren’t entirely seeking.

“Most sequels, you’re behind the eight-ball on them,” the filmmaker confessed. “When audiences clamor for a sequel, what they’re really doing is expressing their enthusiasm for the movie they just saw. And that means they’ll have a love-hate relationship with whatever comes next because they want it to be the same movie, but different. If it’s too similar, they don’t like it. And if it’s too different, they really don’t like it. There’s nothing more difficult.”

Despite the filmmaker’s passion for the project, it sounds like development on a Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel won’t be moving forward anytime soon.

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