Content deleted Content added
Citation bot (talk | contribs) Altered title. Removed parameters. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | #UCB_CommandLine |
|||
(17 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown) | |||
Line 49:
==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films are 400 to 700 words. -->
In 1947 Los Angeles, animated cartoon characters, or "[[Animated cartoon|toons]]", co-exist with humans, often employing their skills to entertain as film stars. Private detective [[Eddie Valiant]], once a staunch ally of the toons alongside his brother and co-worker Teddy, has become a depressed alcoholic following Teddy's murder by an unknown toon five years earlier. Maroon Cartoon Studios owner
After watching Jessica perform at The Ink and Paint Club, Eddie secretly photographs her and Acme playing [[patty-cake]]. He shows the pictures to Roger, who becomes distraught and flees, refusing to believe Jessica was unfaithful. The next morning, Acme is found murdered and evidence at the scene implicates Roger as a suspect. Eddie meets [[Judge Doom]], the sinister human judge of Toontown—having bribed the electorate to gain their votes—and his five [[Weasels (Disney)|weasel]] minions, the Toon Patrol. Doom confirms he plans to execute Roger using the "Dip", a chemical concoction of [[acetone]], [[benzene]], and [[turpentine]] which is capable of destroying the otherwise invulnerable toons.
Roger's toon co-star, Baby Herman, suggests to Eddie that Acme's missing will—which supposedly bequeaths Toontown to the toons—may have been the killer's true motive. Eddie returns to his office and finds Roger waiting. Roger insists he has been framed and Eddie reluctantly agrees to help after finding evidence of Acme's will; he hides Roger in a bar tended by his girlfriend, Dolores. Jessica tells Eddie that Maroon threatened Roger's career unless she posed for the compromising photos. Meanwhile, Dolores's research uncovers that Cloverleaf Industries
While Eddie goes to the studio to interrogate Maroon, Jessica abducts Roger. Maroon denies involvement in Acme's murder, admitting he intended to blackmail Acme into selling his company as otherwise Cloverleaf would not buy the studio. Maroon is assassinated and Eddie spots Jessica fleeing the scene. Assuming she is the assailant, he reluctantly follows her into Toontown, choosing to discard the last of his alcohol. After saving Eddie from being shot by Doom, Jessica reveals her actions were to ensure Roger's safety and it was Doom who killed Acme and Maroon. Acme gave his will to Jessica for safety but, when she examined it, the paper was blank.
Doom and the Toon Patrol capture Jessica and Eddie, bringing them to Acme's factory. Doom reveals he is the sole shareholder of Cloverleaf and plans to erase Toontown with a Dip-spraying machine so he can build a [[interstate|freeway]] in its place, and decommission the railway system to force people to use it. When Roger unsuccessfully attempts to save Jessica, the couple is tied onto a hook in front of the machine's sprayer. Eddie distracts the weasels by performing a comedic [[vaudeville]] act full of pratfalls, causing them to die of laughter before he kicks their leader into the Dip. Doom is flattened by a steamroller while fighting with Eddie, but he survives
As police and toons gather at the scene, Eddie realizes that Acme's will was written on the blank paper in temporarily [[invisible ink]], confirming the toons inherit Toontown. Having regained his sense of humor, Eddie happily enters Toontown alongside Dolores, Roger, Jessica, and the toons.
Line 448:
===Proposed sequel===
Spielberg discussed a sequel in 1989 with [[J. J. Abrams]] as writer and Zemeckis as producer. Abrams'
Mauldin later retitled his script ''Who Discovered Roger Rabbit''. Spielberg left the project when deciding he could not satirize [[Nazism|Nazis]] after directing ''[[Schindler's List]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine | author = Steve Daly | url = https://ew.com/ew/article/0,,20192040,00.html | magazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]] | date = April 16, 2008 | title = Steven Spielberg and George Lucas: The Titans Talk! | access-date = April 17, 2008 | archive-date = April 20, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080420105220/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20192040,00.html | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="world">{{cite news|author=Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman |title=Who Screwed Roger Rabbit? |work=Animation World Magazine |url=http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=1739 |date=April 3, 2003 |access-date=November 3, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218205551/http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=1739 |archive-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> Eisner commissioned a rewrite in 1997 with [[Sherri Stoner]] and [[Deanna Oliver]]. Although they kept Roger's search for his mother, Stoner and Oliver replaced the WWII subplot with Roger's inadvertent rise to stardom on [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] and Hollywood. Disney was impressed and [[Alan Menken]] was hired to write five songs for the film and offered his services as executive producer.<ref name="world" /> One of the songs, "This Only Happens in the Movies", was recorded in 2008 on the debut album of Broadway actress [[Kerry Butler]].<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Kerry-Butlers-Faith-Trust-and-Pixie-Dust-Set-For-May-Release-20080228 | title = Kerry Butler's 'Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust' Set For May Release | work = Broadway World | date = February 28, 2008 | access-date = November 4, 2008 | archive-date = October 26, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121026135505/http://broadwayworld.com/article/Kerry-Butlers-Faith-Trust-and-Pixie-Dust-Set-For-May-Release-20080228 | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Eric Goldberg (film director)|Eric Goldberg]] was set to be the new animation director, and began to redesign Roger's new character appearance.<ref name="world" />
Line 454:
Spielberg became busy establishing [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]], while Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy decided to remain as producers. Test footage for ''Who Discovered Roger Rabbit'' was shot sometime in 1998 at the Disney animation unit in [[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]]; the results were a mix of CGI, traditional animation, and live-action that did not please Disney. A second test had the toons completely converted to [[computer-generated imagery|CGI]], but this was dropped as the film's projected budget would escalate past $100 million. Eisner felt it was best to cancel the film.<ref name="world" /> In March 2003, producer [[Don Hahn]] doubted a sequel, arguing that public tastes had changed since the 1990s with the rise of computer animation. "There was something very special about that time when animation was not as much in the forefront as it is now."<ref>{{cite news | author = Staff | url = https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-03-26-rabbit_x.htm | title = Don't expect a ''Rabbit'' sequel | work = [[USA Today]] | date = March 26, 2003 | access-date = September 5, 2014 | archive-date = June 29, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090629044818/http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-03-26-rabbit_x.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>
In December 2007, Marshall stated that he was still "open" to the idea,<ref name="Frank">{{cite news | url = https://www.mtv.com/news/movies//2007/12/11/roger-rabbit-sequel-still-in-the-offing-stay-tooned-says-producer/ | title = ''Roger Rabbit'' Sequel Still In The Offing? Stay Tooned, Says Producer | author = Shawn Adler | date = September 11, 2007 | work = [[MTV]] Movies Blog | access-date = November 4, 2008 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121017173326/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2007/12/11/roger-rabbit-sequel-still-in-the-offing-stay-tooned-says-producer/ | archive-date = October 17, 2012 | df = mdy-all }}</ref> and in April 2009, Zemeckis revealed he was still interested.<ref>{{cite news|author=Eric Ditzian|title=Robert Zemeckis 'Buzzing' About Second 'Roger Rabbit' Movie|work=[[MTV]] Movies Blog|date=April 29, 2009|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/movies//2009/04/29/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-buzzing-about-second-roger-rabbit-movie/|access-date=April 29, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120627064600/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/04/29/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-buzzing-about-second-roger-rabbit-movie|archive-date=June 27, 2012}}</ref> According to a 2009 [[MTV News]] story, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman were writing a new script for the project, and the animated characters would be in traditional two-dimensional, while the rest would be in [[motion capture]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/movies//2009/11/03/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-indicates-hell-use-performance-capture-and-3-d-in-roger-rabbit-sequel/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: Robert Zemeckis Indicates He'll Use Performance-Capture And 3-D In 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel |publisher=Moviesblog.mtv.com |access-date=November 12, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101103072903/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/11/03/exclusive-robert-zemeckis-indicates-hell-use-performance-capture-and-3-d-in-roger-rabbit-sequel/ |archive-date=November 3, 2010 }}</ref> In 2010, [[Bob Hoskins]] had agreed to sign on for a sequel, but expressed scepticism about the use of "performance capture" in the film.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.contactmusic.com/bob-hoskins/news/roger-rabbit-sequel-perplexes-bob-hoskins_1167555 |title= Roger Rabbit Sequel Perplexes Bob Hoskins |last= Irwin |first= Lew |date= 2010-09-22 |website= contactmusic.com |publisher= Contact Music |accessdate= 2023-01-09}}</ref> Zemeckis said that the sequel would remain hand-drawn animated and live-action sequences will be filmed, just like in the original film, but the lighting effects on the cartoon characters and some of the props that the toons handle will be done digitally.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://toontownantics.blogspot.com/2010/07/roger-rabbit-2-in-3d.html |title=Toontown Antics - Roger Rabbit's adventures in real and animated life: Roger Rabbit 2 – In 3D? |publisher=Toontownantics.blogspot.com |date=July 20, 2010 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=October 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003162428/http://toontownantics.blogspot.com/2010/07/roger-rabbit-2-in-3d.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Also in 2010, Hahn, who was the film's original associate producer, confirmed the sequel's development in an interview with ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]''. He stated, "Yeah, I couldn't possibly comment. I deny completely, but yeah... if you're a fan, pretty soon you're going to be very, very, very happy."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28191 |title=Exclusive: The Lion King To Go 3D! | Movie News | work= Empire |publisher=Empireonline.com |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021034315/http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28191 |url-status=live }}</ref> Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 after a [[Parkinson's disease]] diagnosis a year earlier, and died from [[pneumonia]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-08-08/bob-hoskins-retires-from-acting/ |title= Bob Hoskins retires from acting |publisher=Itv.com |date=August 8, 2012 |access-date=August 24, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123334/http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-08-08/bob-hoskins-retires-from-acting/ |archive-date= October 6, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Marshall confirmed that the film would be a prequel, similar to earlier drafts, and that the writing was almost complete.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/frank-marshall-roger-rabbit-2-sequel-bourne-legacy/187006/ |title=Frank Marshall Talks WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT 2 Sequel, THE BOURNE LEGACY, THE GOONIES 2, More |website=Collider |access-date=October 18, 2012 |archive-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121011065805/http://collider.com/frank-marshall-roger-rabbit-2-sequel-bourne-legacy/187006 |url-status=live }}</ref> During an interview at the premiere of his film ''[[Flight (2012 film)|Flight]]'', Zemeckis stated that the sequel was still possible, despite Hoskins' absence, and the script for the sequel was sent to Disney for approval from studio executives.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fischer|first=Russ|title=Despite Bob Hoskins' Retirement, the 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel is Still Possible|date=October 15, 2012|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/despite-bob-hoskins-retirement-the-roger-rabbit-sequel-is-still-possible/|publisher=[[SlashFilm|/Film]]|access-date=October 16, 2012|archive-date=October 17, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121017234155/http://www.slashfilm.com/despite-bob-hoskins-retirement-the-roger-rabbit-sequel-is-still-possible/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In February 2013, Gary K. Wolf, writer of the original novel, said Erik Von Wodtke and he were working on a development proposal for an animated Disney buddy comedy starring Mickey Mouse and Roger Rabbit called ''The Stooge'', based on [[The Stooge|the 1952 film of the same name]]. The proposed film is set in a prequel, taking place five years before ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' and part of the story is about how Roger met Jessica. Wolf has stated the film is currently wending its way through Disney.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30567 |title=• View topic - Mickey Mouse & Roger Rabbit in The Stooge |date=March 13, 2013 |publisher=Dvdizzy.com |access-date=August 24, 2014 |archive-date=July 28, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728130030/http://www.dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=30567 |url-status=live }}</ref>
In November 2016, while promoting his film ''[[Allied (film)|Allied]]'' in England, Zemeckis stated that the sequel "moves the story of Roger and Jessica Rabbit into the next few years of period film, moving on from film noir to the world of the 1950s". He also stated that the sequel would feature a "digital Bob Hoskins", as Eddie Valiant would return in "ghost form". While the director went on to state that the script is "terrific" and the film would still use hand-drawn animation, Zemeckis thinks that the chances of Disney green-lighting the sequel are "slim". As he explained more in detail, "The current corporate Disney culture has no interest in Roger, and they certainly don't like Jessica at all".<ref>{{cite web|last=Brew|first=Simon|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 would include "digital Bob Hoskins"|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/who-framed-roger-rabbit-2/45599/who-framed-roger-rabbit-2-would-include-digital-bob-hoskins|publisher=Den of Geek|access-date=November 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130054422/http://www.denofgeek.com/uk/movies/who-framed-roger-rabbit-2/45599/who-framed-roger-rabbit-2-would-include-digital-bob-hoskins|archive-date=November 30, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> In December 2018, while promoting his film ''[[Welcome to Marwen]]''
==See also==
Line 546:
[[Category:BAFTA winners (films)]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Hugo Award for Best Dramatic
[[Category:Films that won the Best Visual Effects Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films that won the Best Sound Editing Academy Award]]
Line 603:
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award winning films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Crossover films]]
|