By TeeJay Small
| Published
Fans of the hit 1988 comedy mystery Who Framed Roger Rabbit may be dismayed to learn that the long-awaited sequel project will never get off the ground, thanks to Disney’s desire not to be associated with one particular character. The character in question is Jessica Rabbit, the overtly-sensual cartoon-animated human wife of Roger. According to a recent write-up in Variety, Who Framed Roger Rabbit filmmaker Robert Zemeckis says Jessica Rabbit is just too sexy for modern Disney, though he refuses to tone her down in order to secure the green light for a sequel.
A Sequel Script Exists
Zemeckis specifically spoke on the potential future of the Who Framed Roger Rabbit franchise during a recent podcast appearance, wherein he confirmed that he had penned a sequel script many years ago. Despite his desire to return to the film, which expertly blends hand-drawn animation with live-action performance in an unprecedented technological leap for cinema, Disney execs have made no secret of their disdain.
Zemeckis even went so far as to claim that the original Roger Rabbit film would never have been made in today’s climate, since Disney are so squeamish about showing off Jessica Rabbit’s inherent sex appeal in all its cartoon glory.
Jessica Rabbit Is Too Sexy For Disney
To further illustrate his point about a Roger Rabbit sequel being fully dead on arrival, Robert Zemeckis pointed to the treatment of the Jessica Rabbit character within the Disney theme park. Apparently, a mannequin of the voluptuous cartoon woman used to be displayed prominently outside the Disneyland ride “Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin,” bearing her trademark sparkling red dress and purple elbow-length gloves. In 2021, Jessica Rabbit’s presentation on the ride was dialed way back, and replaced with an iteration of the character’s buxom figure buried under a trench coat.
Jessica Rabbit isn’t the only character to receive this treatment either, as many fans were quick to point out shortly after the release of 2021’s Space Jam: A New Legacy. Much like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the original Space Jam centered much of its narrative on an overtly sexual portrayal of Lola Bunny, which simply didn’t jive with modern Disney trends in the sequel.
If there’s any hope of bringing Jessica Rabbit back to the big screen in the future, she may require the same retooling as Lola, though that’s easier said than done for a character built entirely on being a sex symbol.
We’ll Never See The Sequel
Maybe launching a Roger Rabbit sequel with a covered-up Jessica Rabbit wouldn’t be such a problem, though Zemeckis claims that the character’s over-the-top status as a sex symbol is integral to the plot. Indeed, Jessica’s skimpy outfit, voluptuous curves, and sensual breathy voice were each major contributors to the original Who Framed Roger Rabbit‘s success- not just for atmospheric purposes, but as necessary plot points for the film’s narrative. While nobody can truly be sure what the filmmaker had planned for his long-awaited sequel film, it seems clear that putting Jessica Rabbit in a puffy coat and a pair of Uggs is completely out of the question.
While describing the doomed Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel, Zemeckis highlighted the depths of depravity that older Disney films often displayed. He likened old-school animated projects to films made with adult audiences in mind, despite the fact that children were welcome to come along. Now that Disney has turned its back on Jessica Rabbit, it’s important to note that she’s not bad, she’s just drawn that way- and if Robert Zemeckis is involved, that’s the only way she’ll be drawn at all.
Source: Variety
Leave a Reply