Robert Zemeckis explains why the classic “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” from the 80s may never have a sequel

Who doesn’t have fond memories of the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The movie has long been celebrated as an innovative blend of live-action and animation.

Despite its success, fans have waited for decades for a sequel to see the light of day. Now, director Robert Zemeckis sheds light on why Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 might never happen; and, honestly, it makes a lot of sense.

According to Zemeckis, a script for a sequel does indeed exist. It was written by the original screenwriters Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, but the current leadership at Disney supposedly has no interest in bringing the characters back to the screen. During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zemeckis revealed that changes in Disney’s priorities play a significant role in the decision.

As Zemeckis explained, “the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today.” The director pointed out Disney’s reluctance to revisit the film, partly due to the depiction of Jessica Rabbit, one of the film’s iconic characters. It seems that Jessica Rabbit’s classic femme fatale look, inspired by archetypes from films of the 30s and 40s, is a bit much for current leadership.

This makes sense when considering how Jessica’s image has been altered in recent years. This is most notable at Disney theme parks, where she now appears wearing a trench coat—a change that seems to reflect Disney’s current stance on suggestive characters. Zemeckis remarked: “Look at what they did with Jessica at the theme park; they put her in a trench coat.”

While Jessica Rabbit is an obstacle, she’s just 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, securing similar agreements would be far more challenging, given the stricter way studios protect their intellectual properties—even after Disney’s significant expansion of its own IP catalog over the years. Although Zemeckis didn’t elaborate on this point during the discussion, he implied that the changing entertainment landscape makes a similar deal unlikely.

Another major obstacle to making a sequel is the passing of Bob Hoskins. A brilliant character actor, the late Hoskins played private detective Eddie Valiant in the original film. Zemeckis noted that the sequel’s script was written to include Eddie Valiant as a ghostly character. However, Hoskins’ death in 2014 makes this concept challenging. Zemeckis explained: “When the sequel was written… Eddie was no longer with us, but he would appear as a ghost in some moments.” The director expressed that the idea of replacing Hoskins would not align with the spirit of the film, especially since Eddie Valiant was crucial to its success.

So, as we can see, the prospect of a Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel, according to Zemeckis, seems remote, as there are too many obstacles 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 see a continuation of the film.