And, while there’s a murder mystery at the story’s heart, it’s a very different one Eddie Valiant sets out to solve the killing of Roger himself, who’s been “censored” after being told by his masters, the DeGreasy Brothers, that he’s not getting his own strip. For another, there’s no period setting, with the novel taking place in the present day. For one, the toons aren’t stars of animated films, but of comic strips (the novel includes cameos from the likes of Dick Tracy, Hagar The Horrible, Snoopy and Beetle Bailey), with strips produced by taking photos of the toons, who can mostly communicate only through speech bubbles (though some have learned to speak normally). Wolf‘s “ Who Censored Roger Rabbit?” was published in 1981, was swiftly optioned by Disney, and while it shares a lot of DNA with the eventual film, including most of the key characters, there are a number of crucial differences. The novel that the film is based on is very different, and somewhat darker.Ģ5 years on, it’s widely forgotten that “ Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (and it should be noted that the film doesn’t have a question mark in the title: Hollywood lore is that it’s the kiss of death for a movie to have one) wasn’t an original screenplay, but was actually based on literary subject matter. So to help celebrate the film’s high-def release, the 80th birthday of animation director Richard Williams next week, and the 25th anniversary of the film’s release on June 22nd, we’ve rounded up a few things you might not be aware of about Zemeckis’ classic. Mixing traditional animation with some state-of-the-art (at that time) techniques, the film is still a visual marvel, but also has a sterling, smart script, as much for noir fans as animation buffs. Rabbit, but it all ends with murder, and Valiant and Roger are reluctantly forced to team up to take on a conspiracy that threatens the very existence of Toontown.Ĭhris Rock to Direct Martin Luther King Jr. Eddie Valiant ( Bob Hoskins) to keep an eye on Mrs.

Maroon ( Alan Tilvern) hires toon-hating P.I. Roger Rabbit ( Charles Fleischer) is a big studio star, but is troubled by rumors that his wife Jessica ( Kathleen Turner) is having an affair. where cartoons are real and have their own Hollywood suburb called Toontown. Long in development, and featuring the might of Disney, producer Steven Spielberg and director Zemeckis (at that time white-hot off the success of “ Back To The Future“) the family-friendly film noir is set in a 1940s L.A. On Blu-Ray this week, ahead of its 25th anniversary later in the year, Robert Zemeckis‘ ‘Roger Rabbit’ is a loving, beautifully crafted and inventive picture that’s barely aged a day since its release. Sadly, for all of the charms of “Wreck-It Ralph,” the comparison didn’t do it many favors.

Late last year, Disney released CGI animation “ Wreck-It Ralph,” and thanks to its wide selection of cameos from videogame legends, barely a review passed without comparison to another Disney film from the past - 1988’s “ Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” which included dozens of brief appearances from classic cartoon characters.

Jessica rabbit and roger rabbit fan art