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Credit: Loren Javier, FlickrIt’s been 36 years since Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) hit theaters, but the film has yet to receive a sequel – and, according to its director, likely never will.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit was a huge hit when it was released, taking home three Acadamy Awards and $351 million at the worldwide box office, making it the second highest-grossing film of 1988. This was thanks in no small part to its unique blend of live-action and animation, which created a captivating world where cartoon characters lived alongside humans.
(Not to mention, it’s also one of the most hilarious and innovative films in Disney’s back catalog).
The film follows Bob Hoskins as gritty private eye Eddie Valiant, hired to investigate whether the lively cartoon star Roger Rabbit, voiced by Charles Fleischer, is being double-crossed by his alluring wife, Jessica Rabbit, voiced by Kathleen Turner.
But when Marvin Acme, the powerful Toontown owner and rumored lover of Jessica, turns up dead, the stakes skyrocket—leaving Roger as the prime suspect in a murder mystery that blurs the lines between cartoons and reality.
We have to pay Roger Rabbit himself his dues, of course, but it’s Jessica Rabbit who became the film’s most iconic figure, often remembered for her sultry voice and bewitching appearance, famously stating, “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.”
The Fate of Roger Rabbit Sequel
Considering Disney’s love of sequels and reboots, it’s odd that a film as iconic as Who Framed Roger Rabbit hasn’t received a follow-up. In a recent appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, director Robert Zemeckis spoke about the process of making the film, explaining that it came at a transformative time for the company with Michael Eisner having recently been brought in as CEO.
“We were there when that new regime came in, and they were full of energy, and they wanted to do it,” Zemeckis said.
“I kept saying, and I sincerely say this, I do believe this, ‘I’m making Roger Rabbit the way I believe Walt Disney would have made it.’ The reason I say that is because Walt Disney never made any of his movies for children. He always made them for adults. And that’s what I decided to do with Roger Rabbit.”
However, Zemeckis went on to explain that Disney no longer seems to have this attitude and that while a Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 script does exist, it’s unlikely to ever see the light of day.
The issue? None other than Jessica Rabbit herself.
“Here’s what you have to know: The current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today,” Zemeckis said. “They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it. The sequel script isn’t ever going to see the light of day as good as it is.”
As per Zemeckis, the issue with Jessica Rabbit is that she’s just too sexual for the current Disney regime.
While there’s nothing The Walt Disney Company can do about Who Framed Roger Rabbit itself, the character – who’s known for her voluptuous curves and has since become a Halloween costume favorite – seems to be banned from future films and has, in fact, already been censored in its theme parks.
“Look what they did to Jessica at the theme park,” said Zemeckis, referring to Disneyland Park’s Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. “They trussed her up in a trench coach.”
During the ride’s renovation in 2021, Disney updated its storyline to take Jessica Rabbit from sexy starlet to private detective. The character was briefly removed from the Toontown ride before returning in two scenes.
In her reimagined first scene, Jessica Rabbit now steps in as a bold hero, intercepting a Toon Patrol Weasel poised to pour a vat of cartoon-erasing Dip onto the streets of Toontown, right outside the Bullina China Shoppe. This shift replaces her previous damsel-in-distress portrayal, where she was bound in a car trunk—now repurposed to hold barrels of the deadly Dip.
Later, Jessica wields a sledgehammer and holds a captured weasel at bay. While the action remains largely the same, her updated attire—a striking yellow trench coat and fedora—echoes the iconic style of comic strip detective Dick Tracy and covers up her chest.
The character previously appeared in her trademark red, floor-length dress and was tied up in one scene.
“With the recent return of the Toon Patrol Weasels to Mickey’s Toontown, Jessica Rabbit has decided it’s time to throw her fedora into the ring by starting her own private investigative service,” says the ride’s description on the Disneyland website.
“Catch a ride in a taxi and follow Roger Rabbit and Benny the Cab as they try to help Jessica Rabbit put a stop to the diabolical plans of the villainous Weasels. But beware—the Weasels are pouring slippery toon-melting Dip in the paths of passing vehicles—including yours!”
Sensitivity Updates Beyond Jessica Rabbit
Over the past few years, Disney has been on a mission to improve diversity, inclusion and relevancy in its existing attractions, removing culturally outdated depictions in the process.
This includes the updates to Pirates of the Caribbean at all parks except Tokyo Disneyland, with the “we wants the redhead” scene – in which pirates bid on brides at an auction – replaced with a scene in which the redhead herself is a pirate.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney Imagineering removed several racially insensitive scenes from the Jungle Cruise ride and replaced them with comic scenes featuring animals and a new cast of culturally diverse.
Long criticized for its connections to Song of the South (1946), Splash Mountain was also closed at Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park, with both parks adding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – based on The Princess and the Frog (2009), which features Disney’s first Black princess – in its place.
Do you agree that Jessica Rabbit is too sexy for Disney?