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{{Short description|1988 film by Robert Zemeckis}}
{{About|the film|other uses}}
{{pp-protected|small=yes}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Who Framed Roger Rabbit
| image = Movie poster who framed roger rabbit.jpg
| alt = Theatrical release poster depicting filmstrips shaped like Roger Rabbit. The title "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and a tagline "It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble." are shown at the left top of the image.
| caption = Theatrical release poster by [[Steven Chorney]]
| director = [[Robert Zemeckis]]
| producer = {{plainlist|
* [[Frank Marshall (filmmaker)|Frank Marshall]]
* [[Robert Watts]]
}}
| screenplay = [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman|Jeffrey Price<br /> Peter S. Seaman]]
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Who Censored Roger Rabbit?]]''|[[Gary K. Wolf]]}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|<!--Per poster billing.-->
* [[Bob Hoskins]]
* [[Christopher Lloyd]]
* [[Charles Fleischer]]
* [[Stubby Kaye]]
* [[Joanna Cassidy]]
}}
| music = [[Alan Silvestri]]
| cinematography = [[Dean Cundey]]
| editing = [[Arthur Schmidt (film editor)|Arthur Schmidt]]
| studio = {{plainlist|
* [[Touchstone Pictures]]<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/59159|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=July 21, 2020|archive-date=July 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722204441/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/59159|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Amblin Entertainment]]<ref name=afi/>
* [[Silver Screen Partners III]]<ref name=afi/>
}}
| distributor = [[Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]]<ref name=afi/>
| released = {{Film date|1988|6|21|New York City|1988|6|22|United States}}
| runtime = 104 minutes<ref name="bbfc">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/who-framed-roger-rabbit-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmdu2ntc|title=''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' (PG)|work=[[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]]|access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $50.6 million{{refn|group=nb|The budget has been commonly reported as $70 million, including by ''The New York Times'' in 1991, which subsequently issued an [[erratum]] to state that both Amblin and Touchstone insist the budget was "about $50 million".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Greenburg |first=James |title=FILM; Why the 'Hudson Hawk' Budget Soared So High |date=May 26, 1991 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=3 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/26/movies/film-why-the-hudson-hawk-budget-soared-so-high.html?pagewanted=3 |access-date=January 4, 2010 |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812135130/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/26/movies/film-why-the-hudson-hawk-budget-soared-so-high.html?pagewanted=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> Publications of the film's accounts since then indicate that the exact production cost of the film was $58,166,000,<ref name="Block & Wilson">{{cite book|editor1-last=Block|editor1-first=Alex Ben|editor2-last=Wilson|editor2-first=Lucy Autrey|year=2010|title=George Lucas's Blockbusting: A Decade-By-Decade Survey of Timeless Movies Including Untold Secrets of Their Financial and Cultural Success|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|isbn=978-0-06-177889-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/georgelucassbloc00alex/page/615 615]|quote=Production cost (with overhead): $58,166 (Unadjusted $s in Thousands of Dollars)|url=https://archive.org/details/georgelucassbloc00alex/page/615}}</ref> including the production overhead which came to a total of $7,587,000, putting the net cost at $50,587,000.<ref name="Vogel">{{cite book |last=Vogel |first=Harold L. |year=2010 |title=Entertainment Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-107-00309-5 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=BfyFFCyRvX0C&pg=PA208 208] |quote=Production cost: 50,579; Production overhead: 7,587 (Data in $000s)}}</ref>}}
| gross = $351.5 million<ref>{{cite web |title=The Numbers: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit#tab=international |website=The Numbers |publisher=Nash Information Services, LLC. |access-date=1 July 2022 |ref=box office}}</ref>
}}

'''''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''''' is a 1988 American [[fantasy comedy]] film directed by [[Robert Zemeckis]] from a screenplay written by [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/who-framed-roger-rabbit-vm1079401|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)|website=Allmovie|access-date=April 22, 2023}}</ref> It is loosely based on the 1981 novel ''[[Who Censored Roger Rabbit?]]'' by [[Gary K. Wolf]]. The film stars [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Christopher Lloyd]], [[Stubby Kaye]], and [[Joanna Cassidy]], along with the voices of [[Charles Fleischer]] and an uncredited [[Kathleen Turner]]. Combining [[Live-action animated film|live-action and animation]], the film is set in an [[alternate history]] [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] in 1947, where humans and cartoon characters (referred to as "toons") co-exist. Its plot follows [[Eddie Valiant]], a private [[Detective|investigator]] with a grudge against toons, who must help exonerate [[Roger Rabbit]], a toon [[Frameup|framed for murder]].

[[Walt Disney Pictures]] purchased the [[film rights]] for the story in 1981. Price and Seaman wrote two drafts of the script before Disney brought in executive producer [[Steven Spielberg]] and his production company, [[Amblin Entertainment]]. Zemeckis was brought on to direct, and Canadian animator [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]] was hired to supervise the animation sequences. Production was moved from [[Los Angeles]] to [[Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)|Elstree Studios]] in England to accommodate Williams and his group of animators. While filming, the production budget rapidly expanded, and the shooting schedule ran longer than expected.

''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' was released through Disney's [[Touchstone Pictures]] banner in the United States on June 22, 1988. The film received critical acclaim for its visuals, humor, writing, performances, and groundbreaking combination of live-action and animation. It grossed over $351 million worldwide, becoming the [[1988 in film|second-highest-grossing film of 1988]], behind ''[[Rain Man]]''. It brought a renewed interest in the [[golden age of American animation]], spearheading [[Modern animation in the United States|modern American animation]] and the [[Disney Renaissance]].<ref>{{cite news|last=King|first=Susan|title=Classic Hollywood: On the case of 'Roger Rabbit'|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-roger-rabbit-classic-hollywood-20130401,0,7123062,full.story|access-date=April 16, 2013|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date=March 21, 2013|archive-date=April 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404115801/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-roger-rabbit-classic-hollywood-20130401,0,7123062,full.story|url-status=live}}</ref> It won three [[Academy Awards]] for [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Effects Editing]] and [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]] and received a [[Special Achievement Academy Award]] for Williams' animation direction.

In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|website=Library of Congress|access-date=May 14, 2020|archive-date=October 31, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031213743/https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==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 R.K. Maroon, upset about the recent poor performance of his toon star [[Roger Rabbit]], hires Eddie to investigate rumors that Roger's glamorous toon wife, [[Jessica Rabbit|Jessica]], is having an affair with Marvin Acme, owner of both the [[Acme Corporation]] and Toontown, the animated metropolis in which toons reside.

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 and testament|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 recently bought the city's [[Pacific Electric]] railway system and will purchase Toontown at midnight unless Acme's will is found. Doom and the Toon Patrol find Roger, but he and Eddie escape with help from Benny, a toon [[taxi]] cab. Sheltering in a local [[movie theater]], Eddie sees a newsreel of Maroon selling his studio to Cloverleaf.

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 [[Chief executive officer|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, revealing he is actually a disguised toon and Teddy's murderer. Struggling against Doom's toon abilities, Eddie empties the machine's Dip supply, spraying and dissolving Doom to death. The machine crashes through the wall into Toontown, where it is destroyed by a [[passenger train]].

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.

==Cast==
[[File:Bob hoskins filming ruby blue cropped (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Bob Hoskins]] plays the role of Eddie Valiant.]]

===Live-action cast===
{{div col}}
* [[Bob Hoskins]] as [[Eddie Valiant]], a private investigator
* [[Christopher Lloyd]] as [[Judge Doom]], a judge of the Toontown Superior Court
* [[Stubby Kaye]] as Marvin Acme, the owner of the Acme Corporation and Toontown
* [[Joanna Cassidy]] as Dolores, a bar waitress who is friends with Eddie
* [[Alan Tilvern]] as R.K. Maroon, the head of Maroon Cartoons
* [[Richard LeParmentier]] as Lt. Santino, a police lieutenant of the [[Los Angeles Police Department]]
* [[Richard Ridings]] as Angelo, a patron at the bar that Dolores works at who mocks Eddie's detective work
* [[Joel Silver]] as Raoul
* Paul Springer as Augie
* [[Mike Edmonds]] as Stretch
* [[Betsy Brantley]] as [[Jessica Rabbit]]'s performance model
* Morgan Deare as an editor
{{div col end}}

===Voice cast===
{{div col}}
* [[Charles Fleischer]] as:
** [[Roger Rabbit]], a rabbit and cartoon short star
** Benny the Cab, a toon taxi cab
** Greasy, the second-in-command of the Toon Patrol
** Psycho, a member of the Toon Patrol
* [[Kathleen Turner]] (speaking voice) and [[Amy Irving]] (singing voice) as [[Jessica Rabbit]] (both uncredited), a human toon and Roger's wife
* Lou Hirsch as Baby Herman, a baby and Roger's co-star, who speaks normally when off set
* [[David Lander]] as Smart Ass, the leader of the Toon Patrol
* [[Fred Newman (actor)|Fred Newman]] as Stupid, a member of the Toon Patrol
* [[June Foray]] as:
** Wheezy, a member of the Toon Patrol
** Lena Hyena, an unattractive toon human whom Eddie mistakes for Jessica
* [[Mel Blanc]] as:
** [[Bugs Bunny]]
** [[Daffy Duck]]
** [[Porky Pig]]
** [[Tweety]]
** [[Sylvester the Cat]]
* [[Joe Alaskey]] as [[Yosemite Sam]]
* [[Wayne Allwine]] as [[Mickey Mouse]]
* [[Tony Anselmo]] as [[Donald Duck]]
* [[Tony Pope]] as:
** [[Goofy]]
** [[Big Bad Wolf#Disney version|Big Bad Wolf]]<ref>{{cite web |title=2011 Disneyana Fan Club Convention Highlight: Voice Panel | date=August 24, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhpr84WzJLg |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804045746/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhpr84WzJLg |archive-date=August 4, 2016 |access-date=April 16, 2013 |publisher=YouTube |format=Video}}</ref>
* [[Mae Questel]] as [[Betty Boop]]
* [[Russi Taylor]] as
** [[Minnie Mouse]]
** The [[Hummingbird]]s from ''[[Song of the South]]''
* [[Pat Buttram]], [[Jim Cummings]] (imitating [[Andy Devine]]) and Jim Gallant (imitating [[Walter Brennan]]) as Eddie's toon bullets which he once received from Yosemite Sam
* Les Perkins as [[Mr. Toad]] from ''[[The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad]]''
* Mary T. Radford as Hyacinth Hippo from ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]''
* [[Nancy Cartwright]] as a Toon shoe who gets dissolved in Dip
* Cherry Davis as [[Woody Woodpecker]]
* Morgan Deare as Bongo the Gorilla, the [[Bouncer (doorman)|bouncer]] of The Ink and Paint Club
* Peter Westy as [[Pinocchio]]
* [[Frank Welker]] as [[Dumbo]] (uncredited)
* [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]] as [[Droopy]]
* [[April Winchell]] as Mrs. Herman and Baby Herman's "baby noises"
* Archival recordings of [[Frank Sinatra]] were used for the Singing Sword, whose character design is based on Sinatra.
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
[[Walt Disney Pictures|Walt Disney Productions]] purchased the [[film rights]] to [[Gary K. Wolf]]'s novel ''[[Who Censored Roger Rabbit?]]'' shortly after its publication in 1981. [[Ron W. Miller]], then president of Disney, saw it as a perfect opportunity to produce a [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbuster]].<ref name="War">Stewart, p.72</ref> [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman]] were hired to write the script, penning two drafts. [[Robert Zemeckis]] offered his services as director in 1982,<ref name="Norman">{{cite book | author = Norman Kagan | title = The Cinema of Robert Zemeckis |date = May 2003| publisher = [[Rowman & Littlefield]] | location = Lanham, Maryland | chapter = Who Framed Roger Rabbit | pages = 93–117 | isbn = 0-87833-293-6}}</ref> but Disney declined as his two previous films (''[[I Wanna Hold Your Hand (film)|I Wanna Hold Your Hand]]'' and ''[[Used Cars]]'') had been [[box-office bomb]]s.<ref name="comment">Robert Zemeckis, Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, Ken Ralston, [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]], Steve Starkey, DVD audio commentary, 2003, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment</ref> Between 1981 and 1983 Disney developed test footage with [[Darrell Van Citters]] as animation director, [[Paul Reubens]] voicing Roger Rabbit, [[Peter Renaday]] as Eddie Valiant, and [[Russi Taylor]] as Jessica Rabbit.<ref>{{cite web|author=TheThiefArchive|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME4yxyGZNS4|title=Early unmade version of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" [Paul Reubens, Darrell Van Citters, Disney 1983]|publisher=YouTube|date=September 5, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2014|archive-date=September 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906193905/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME4yxyGZNS4&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> The project was revamped in 1985 by [[Michael Eisner]], the then-new CEO of Disney. [[Amblin Entertainment]], which consisted of [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Frank Marshall (filmmaker)|Frank Marshall]] and [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]], were approached to produce ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' alongside Disney. The original budget was projected at $50 million, which Disney felt was too expensive.<ref name="Williams">{{cite book | author = [[James B. Stewart]] | title = [[DisneyWar]] | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | year = 2005 | location = New York City | page = [https://archive.org/details/disneywar00jame_0/page/86 86] | isbn = 0-684-80993-1 }}</ref>

The film was finally [[Green-light|green-lit]] when the budget decreased to $30 million, which at the time would have still made it the most expensive animated film ever produced.<ref name="Williams" /> [[Walt Disney Studios (division)|Walt Disney Studios]] chairman [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] argued that the hybrid of live-action and animation would "save" [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]]. Spielberg's contract included an extensive amount of creative control and a large percentage of the [[box-office]] profits. Disney kept all merchandising rights.<ref name="Williams" /> Spielberg convinced [[Warner Bros.]], [[Fleischer Studios]], [[Harvey Comics]], [[King Features Syndicate]], [[Felix the Cat|Felix the Cat Productions]], [[Turner Entertainment]], and [[Universal Pictures]]/[[Walter Lantz Productions]] to "lend" their characters to appear in the film with (in some cases) stipulations on how those characters were portrayed; for example, Disney's Donald Duck and Warner Bros.' Daffy Duck appear as equally talented dueling pianists, and Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny also share a scene. Apart from the agreement, and some of the original voice artists reprising their roles, Warner Bros. and the various other companies were not involved in the production of ''Roger Rabbit''. Executives at Warner Bros. were displeased by animators using the Daffy design by [[Bob Clampett]] and demanded they use the design by [[Chuck Jones]]; in response Zemeckis had separate artists animate Daffy using Jones' design to satisfy Warner Bros., in order to have Clampett's design in the final film. The producers were unable to acquire the rights to use [[Popeye]], [[Tom and Jerry]], [[Little Lulu]], [[Casper the Friendly Ghost|Casper]], or the [[Terrytoons]] characters for appearances from their respective owners (King Features, Turner, [[Western Publishing]], Harvey Comics, and [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]]).<ref name="Norman" /><ref name="comment" />

[[Terry Gilliam]] was offered the chance to direct, but he found the project too technically challenging. ("Pure laziness on my part," he later admitted, "I completely regret that decision.")<ref>{{cite news | author = Ian Nathan | title = Dreams: Terry Gilliam's Unresolved Projects | work = [[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date = May 1996| pages = 37–40}}</ref> Robert Zemeckis was hired to direct in 1985, based on the success of ''[[Romancing the Stone]]'' and ''[[Back to the Future]]''. Disney executives were continuing to suggest [[Darrell Van Citters]] direct the animation, but Spielberg and Zemeckis decided against it.<ref name="Williams" /> [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]] was eventually hired to direct the animation. Zemeckis wanted the film to exhibit "Disney's high quality of animation, Warner Bros.' characterization, and [[Tex Avery]] humor."<ref name="WakingSB">[[Don Hahn]], [[Peter Schneider (film executive)|Peter Schneider]], ''Waking Sleeping Beauty'' DVD commentary, 2010, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]</ref>

===Casting===
[[Harrison Ford]] was Spielberg's original choice to play Eddie Valiant, but his price was too high.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/movies/harrison-ford-lost-roles/|title='Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' And Six Other Big Roles Harrison Ford Missed Out On|date=July 13, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=September 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913231452/http://uproxx.com/movies/harrison-ford-lost-roles/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Chevy Chase]] was the second choice, but he was not interested.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[Bill Murray]] was also considered for the role, but due to his idiosyncratic method of receiving offers for roles, Murray missed out on it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr/bill-murray-and-the-roles_b_5850434.html|title=Bill Murray and the Roles That Got Away|first=John|last=Farr|date=September 19, 2014|access-date=May 26, 2017|work=[[HuffPost]]|archive-date=June 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619004834/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr/bill-murray-and-the-roles_b_5850434.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Eddie Murphy]] reportedly turned down the role as he misunderstood the concept of toons and humans co-existing; he later regretted this decision.<ref name="Evans">{{cite web|last=Evans|first=Bradford|title=The Lost Roles of Eddie Murphy|date=April 7, 2011|publisher=[[Splitsider]]|url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy/|access-date=July 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723072044/http://splitsider.com/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy/|archive-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fallon |first1=Jimmy |title=Eddie Murphy Confirms Rumors and Stories About Prince, Ghostbusters and More |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABVnXoe9gw |website=YouTube |date=December 20, 2019 |access-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-date=December 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223032637/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABVnXoe9gw |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Robin Williams]], [[Robert Redford]], [[Jack Nicholson]], [[Sylvester Stallone]], [[Edward James Olmos]], [[Wallace Shawn]], [[Ed Harris]], [[Charles Grodin]] and [[Don Lane]] were also considered for the role.<ref name="mentalfloss.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/62910/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|title=15 Things You Might Not Know About ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' |work=[[Mental Floss]] |date=April 10, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=June 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604194418/http://mentalfloss.com/article/62910/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|url-status=live}}</ref> Ultimately, [[Bob Hoskins]] was chosen by Spielberg because of his acting skill and because Spielberg believed he had a hopeful demeanor and he looked like he belonged in that era.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2018-06-13|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit: A Look at How the Cartoons Came to Life|url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/who-framed-roger-rabbit-161764/|access-date=2022-02-15|website=Closer Weekly|language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Paul Reubens]] originally auditioned for the role of [[Roger Rabbit]] and even provided his voice in an early 1983 screen test, but lost out.<ref name="Buzzfeed">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|title=20 Things You Didn't Know About "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"|first=Brian |last=Galindo|website=[[BuzzFeed]]|date=12 March 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315195121/https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit?utm_term=.yaJaEAEdb#.uxPB2Q2bD|archive-date=15 March 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Reyes|first1=Mike|title=Listen To Pee-Wee Herman As The Voice Of Roger Rabbit|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Listen-Pee-Wee-Herman-Voice-Roger-Rabbit-67174.html|website=CinemaBlend|access-date=5 May 2017|date=2014-09-11}}</ref> [[Eddie Deezen]], who had worked with Zemeckis previously, also auditioned to play Roger, but did not get the part.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2011 |title=PMC 35: Eddie Deezen |url=http://www.popmyculturepodcast.com/?p=1666 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110420042425/http://www.popmyculturepodcast.com/?p=1666 |archive-date=April 20, 2011 |access-date=May 15, 2011 |publisher=Pop My Culture podcast}}</ref> The role was eventually given to [[Charles Fleischer]].<ref name="Buzzfeed" /> Before filming, Fleischer was asked to come up with a speech impediment for Roger. He gave Roger a lisp and the stammering catchphrase "P-p-p-please!" as a tribute to all the other famous cartoon characters with speech impediments, which was inspired by [[Huntz Hall]]'s Sach Jones in ''[[The Bowery Boys]]''.<ref name="Voice Inspiration 1">{{cite web|title=Interview with Charles Fleischer, the voice of Roger Rabbit|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/big-screen/2013/mar/20/interview-with-charles-fleischer-the-voice-of-roge/|publisher=San Diego Reader|access-date=September 4, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Voice Inspiration 2">{{cite web|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit Turns 35: Voice of Roger Reflects on Filming Classic Cartoon Crossover|date=June 22, 2023 |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/who-framed-roger-rabbit-charles-fleischer-35th-anniversary-interview|publisher=SYFY WIRE|access-date=September 4, 2024}}</ref> He had invented the "cheek flutter" while performing the voice of B.B. in ''[[Deadly Friend]]''.<ref name="Voice Inspiration 3">{{cite web|title=Charles Fleischer, the voice behind Roger Rabbit, explores the meaning of life|date=March 25, 2013 |url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/culture/charles-fleischer-the-voice-behind-roger-rabbit-explores-the-meaning-of-life/article_a17a7465-727c-5c11-ad2d-34baeabf7fb2.html|access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref> His portrayal of Roger was also inspired by [[Screwy Squirrel]].<ref name="Voice Inspiration 4">{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Keith |title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, Vol. 1 |date=3 October 2022 |publisher=BearManor Media |language=en}}</ref> To facilitate Hoskins' performance, Fleischer dressed in a Roger Rabbit costume and "stood in" behind camera for most scenes.<ref name="ears" /> Williams explained Roger was a combination of "[[Tex Avery]]'s cashew nut-shaped head, the swatch of red hair... like [[Droopy]]'s, [[Goofy]]'s overalls, [[Porky Pig]]'s bow tie, [[Mickey Mouse]]'s gloves, and [[Bugs Bunny]]-like cheeks and ears."<ref name="Norman" />

[[Kathleen Turner]] provided the uncredited voice of [[Jessica Rabbit]], Roger Rabbit's wife.<ref name="kt">{{cite web | url=https://www.avclub.com/kathleen-turner-talks-the-perfect-family-body-heat-an-1798231149 | title=Kathleen Turner talks ''The Perfect Family'', ''Body Heat'', and her return to cinema | publisher=[[The Onion]] | work=[[The A.V. Club]] | date=May 4, 2012 | access-date=November 24, 2012 | author=Rabin, Nathan | archive-date=October 31, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031053932/http://www.avclub.com/articles/kathleen-turner-talks-the-perfect-family-body-heat%2C73499/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Tim Curry]] auditioned for the role of Judge Doom, but was rejected because the producers found him too terrifying.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit|title=20 Things You Didn't Know About "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"|first=Brian Galindo BuzzFeed|last=Staff|website=BuzzFeed|date=March 12, 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=March 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315195121/https://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-who-framed-roger-rabbit?utm_term=.yaJaEAEdb|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Christopher Lee]] was also considered for the role, but turned it down.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[John Cleese]] also expressed interest for the role, but was deemed not scary enough.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[Peter O'Toole]], [[F. Murray Abraham]], [[Roddy McDowall]], [[Eddie Deezen]], and [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] were also considered for the role.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> [[Christopher Lloyd]] was cast because he previously worked with Zemeckis and Spielberg on ''Back to the Future''. He compared his part as Doom to his previous role as the Klingon commander Kruge in ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'', both overly evil characters which he considered "fun to play".<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.avclub.com/christopher-lloyd-on-playing-a-vampire-a-taxi-driver-1798234109 | title = Christopher Lloyd on playing a vampire, a taxi driver, a toon, and more | newspaper = [[The A.V. Club]] | date = October 12, 2012 | access-date = October 17, 2012 | first = Will | last = Harris | archive-date = October 14, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121014185750/http://www.avclub.com/articles/random-roles-christopher-lloyd%2C86582/ | url-status = live }}</ref> He avoided blinking his eyes while on camera to portray the character.<ref name="comment" />

Fleischer also voiced Benny the Cab, Psycho, and Greasy. Lou Hirsch, who voiced Baby Herman, was the original choice for Benny the Cab but was replaced by Fleischer.<ref name="ears">Robert Zemeckis, Richard Williams, [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Charles Fleischer]], [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]], [[Alan Silvestri]], Ken Ralston, ''Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit'', 2003, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]</ref>

===Writing===
[[File:PELogoBW.svg|thumb|alt=Pacific Electric Logo|The plot incorporated the actual closing of [[Pacific Electric]].]]
Price and Seaman were brought aboard to continue writing the script once Spielberg and Zemeckis were hired. For inspiration, the two writers studied the work of [[Walt Disney]] and [[Warner Bros. Cartoons]] from the Golden Age of American animation, especially Tex Avery and [[Bob Clampett]] cartoons. The Cloverleaf streetcar subplot was inspired by ''[[Chinatown (1974 film)|Chinatown]]''.<ref name="Norman" /> Price and Seaman said that "the [[Red Car]] plot, [[suburb]] expansion, [[urban culture|urban]] and [[political corruption]] really did happen," Price stated. "In Los Angeles, during the 1940s, car and tire companies [[Great American streetcar scandal|teamed up]] against the [[Pacific Electric Railway]] system and bought them out of business. Where the [[freeway]] runs in Los Angeles is where the Red Car used to be."<ref name="comment"/> In Wolf's novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'', the toons were [[comic-strip]] characters rather than movie stars.<ref name="Norman"/>

During the writing process, Price and Seaman were unsure of whom to include as the villain in the plot. They wrote scripts that had either Jessica Rabbit or Baby Herman as the villain, but they made their final decision with the newly created character Judge Doom. Doom was supposed to have an animated vulture sit on his shoulder, but this was deleted due to the technical challenges this posed.<ref name="comment"/> Doom would also have a suitcase of 12 small, animated kangaroos that [[Kangaroo court|act as a jury]], by having their [[Joey (marsupial)#Early development|joeys]] pop out of their pouches, each with letters, when put together would spell YOU ARE GUILTY. This was also cut for budget and technical reasons.<ref name="script">Who Shot Roger Rabbit, 1986 script by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman</ref>

The Toon Patrol (Stupid, Smart Ass, Greasy, Wheezy, and Psycho) satirizes the Seven Dwarfs (Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey), who appeared in ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937). Originally seven weasels were to mimic the dwarfs complement, but eventually two of them, Slimey and Sleazy, were written out of the script.<ref name="comment"/> Further references included The Ink and Paint Club resembling the [[Cotton Club (New York City)|Harlem Cotton Club]], while Zemeckis compared Judge Doom's invention of the Dip to eliminate all the toons to [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s [[Final Solution]].<ref name="Norman" /> Doom was originally the hunter who killed [[Bambi]]'s mother.<ref name="script"/> Benny the Cab was first conceived to be a [[Volkswagen Beetle]] before being changed to a taxi cab. Ideas originally conceived for the story also included a sequence set at Marvin Acme's funeral, whose attendees included Eddie, [[Foghorn Leghorn]], [[Mickey Mouse]], [[Minnie Mouse]], [[Tom Cat|Tom]] and [[Jerry Mouse|Jerry]], [[Heckle and Jeckle]], [[Chip n' Dale]], [[Felix the Cat]], [[Herman and Katnip]], [[Yakky Doodle]], [[Mighty Mouse]], [[Superman (1940s animated film series)|Superman]], [[Popeye]], [[Olive Oyl]], [[Bluto]], [[Clarabelle Cow]], [[Horace Horsecollar]], the Seven Dwarfs, [[Baby Huey]], and [[Casper the Friendly Ghost]] in [[cameo appearance]]s. This scene was cut for pacing reasons at the storyboard stage.<ref name="script"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/roger-rabbit.html|title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman}}</ref> Before finally agreeing on ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' as the film's title, [[working title]]s included ''Murder in Toontown'', ''Toons'', ''Dead Toons Don't Pay Bills'', ''The Toontown Trial'', ''Trouble in Toontown'', and ''Eddie Goes to Toontown''.<ref>DVD production notes</ref>

===Filming===
[[File:Judgedoom.PNG|thumb|Judge Doom (played by [[Christopher Lloyd]]) threatens Roger Rabbit before introducing him to the dip. [[Mime artist]]s, [[puppeteer]]s, [[mannequin]]s, and [[robotic arm]]s were commonly used during filming to help the actors interact with "open air and imaginative cartoon characters".<ref name="ears" />]]

Williams admitted he was "openly disdainful of the Disney [[bureaucracy]]"<ref name="Katz" /> and refused to work in Los Angeles. Accommodating Williams and his animators, production moved to England where a studio, Walt Disney Animation UK (subsuming Richard Williams Animation), was created for this purpose;<ref name="Disney News Fall 1987">{{cite magazine |last=Solomon |first=Charles |title=Future Disney Classics: New Animated Features on the Way |url=https://archive.org/details/DisneyNewsMagazine_Vol22.4_1987.Fall/page/33 |magazine=[[Disney News]] |date=Fall 1987 |access-date=September 2, 2019}}</ref><ref name="LA Times 880622">{{cite magazine |last=Solomon |first=Charles |title=The Animated Arena of 'Roger Rabbit': Integration of Cartoons With Live Action Will Set Standard. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-22-ca-4589-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215003800/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-22-ca-4589-story.html |url-status=live |archive-date=February 15, 2020 |magazine=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 22, 1988 |access-date=September 2, 2019 }}</ref> located at The Forum, 74–80 Camden Street, in [[Camden Town, London]], while the live-action production was based at [[Elstree Studios (Shenley Road)|Elstree Studios]]. Disney and Spielberg also told Williams that in return for doing the film, they would help distribute his unfinished film ''[[The Thief and the Cobbler]]''.<ref name="Katz" /> Supervising animators included Van Citters, [[Dale Baer]], [[Michael Peraza]], [[Joe Ranft]], [[Tom Sito]], [[James Baxter (animator)|James Baxter]], [[David Bowers (director)|David Bowers]], [[Andreas Deja]], [[Mike Gabriel]], [[Chris Jenkins (film producer)|Chris Jenkins]], [[Phil Nibbelink]], [[Nik Ranieri]], [[Simon Wells]], and [[Bruce W. Smith]]; Williams and associate producer [[Don Hahn]] spearheaded the animation production. The animation production was split between Walt Disney Animation UK and a specialized unit in Los Angeles, set up by [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]] and supervised by Baer.<ref>Wolf, Scott (2008). "[https://archive.today/20120908053504/http://www.mouseclubhouse.com/Interviews/don-hahn/don-hahn-beauty-roger-rabbit.htm DON HAHN talks about 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?']". ''Mouseclubhouse.com''. Retrieved December 31, 2009.</ref> The production budget continued to escalate, while the shooting schedule ran longer than expected. When the budget reached $40 million, Disney CEO [[Michael Eisner]] seriously considered shutting down production, but studio chairman [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] talked him out of it.<ref name="Katz">Stewart, p.87</ref> Despite the budget escalating to over $50 million, Disney moved forward on production because they were enthusiastic to work with Spielberg.<ref name="Williams" />

[[VistaVision]] cameras installed with [[motion-control]] technology were used for the photography of the live-action scenes, which would be composited with animation. Rubber mannequins of Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, and the Toon Patrol portrayed the animated characters during rehearsals to teach the actors where to look when acting with "open air and imaginative cartoon characters".<ref name="ears" /> Many of the live-action props held by cartoon characters were shot on set with the props either held by robotic arms or manipulated with strings, similar to a [[marionette]].<ref name="comment" />  For example, a test was shot at ILM where an actor playing the detective would climb down a fire escape and the rabbit is supposed to follow and he knocks down some stacked boxes. Naturally, there would not be a rabbit during the test, so the camera would go down the fire escape and the boxes would fall when a wire was pulled.<ref name=":1" /> The actor who played the voice of Roger, Charles Fleischer, insisted on wearing a Roger Rabbit costume while on the set, to get into character.<ref name="ears" /> [[Principal photography|Filming]] began on November 2, 1986, and lasted for seven and a half months at Elstree Studios, with an additional month in Los Angeles and at [[Industrial Light & Magic]] (ILM) for [[Chroma key|blue screen]] effects of Toontown.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}} The [[Dimco Buildings]] in London were dressed as the fictional [[Acme Corporation|Acme Factory]].<ref name="dimco3">{{cite web |author=The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit filming locations |url=https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/w/whoframed.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060326214824/http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/w/whoframed.html |archive-date=26 March 2006 |access-date=2007-10-02}}</ref> The entrance of [[Red Studios Hollywood|Desilu Studios]] in Los Angeles served as the fictional Maroon Cartoon Studio lot.<ref>[[Robert Zemeckis]], [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]], [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman|Jeffrey Price]], [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman|Peter Seaman]], [[Steve Starkey]], and [[Ken Ralston]]. ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Blu-ray audio commentary'', 2013, [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]</ref>

===Animation and post-production===
[[Post-production]] lasted for 14 months.<ref name="comment" /> ILM had already used [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] and [[digital compositing]] in a few movies, such as the stained glass knight scene in ''[[Young Sherlock Holmes]]'', but the computers were still not powerful enough to make a complicated movie like ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', so all the animation was done using [[cel]]s and [[Optical printer|optical compositing]].<ref>[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/who-framed-roger-rabbit-hits-30-a-look-back-at-ilms-astonishing-old-school-optical-vfx-158471.html ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Hits 30: A Look Back At ILM’s Astonishing Old-School Optical VFX]</ref><ref name="ears" /> First, the animators and layout artists were given black-and-white printouts of the live-action scenes (known as "photostats"), and they placed their animation paper on top of them. The artists then drew the animated characters in relationship to the live-action footage. Due to Zemeckis' dynamic camera moves, the animators had to confront the challenge of ensuring the characters were not "slipping and slipping all over the place."<ref name="comment" /><ref name="ears" /> Ensuring this did not happen and that the characters looked real, Zemeckis and Spielberg met for about an hour and a half and came up with an idea: "If the rabbit sits down in an old chair, dust comes up. He should always be touching something real."<ref name=":1" /> After the rough animation was complete, it was run through the normal process of traditional animation until the cels were shot on the [[rostrum camera]] with no background. Williams came up with the idea of making the cartoon characters “2.5-dimensional”, and the animated footage was sent to ILM for compositing, where technicians animated three lighting layers (shadows, highlights, and tone mattes) separately, to give the characters a sense of depth and create the illusion of them affected by the set lighting.<ref>[https://www.thewrap.com/why-who-framed-roger-rabbit-broke-all-rules-30th-anniversary/ ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Creators on How They Broke All the Rules]</ref><ref name="ears" /> Finally, the lighting effects were optically composited on to the cartoon characters, who were, in turn, composited into the live-action footage. One of the most difficult effects in the film was Jessica's dress in the nightclub scene because it had to flash [[sequin]]s, an effect accomplished by filtering light through a [[plastic bag]] scratched with [[steel wool]].<ref name="Norman" />

===Music===
{{See also|Who Framed Roger Rabbit (soundtrack)}}
Regular Zemeckis collaborator [[Alan Silvestri]] composed the [[film score]], performed by the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] (LSO) under the direction of Silvestri. Zemeckis joked that "the British [musicians] could not keep up with Silvestri's [[jazz]] tempo". The performances of the [[theme (music)|music themes]] written for Jessica Rabbit were entirely [[Improvisation|improvised]] by a jazz combo performing with the LSO. The work of American composer [[Carl Stalling]] heavily influenced Silvestri's work on ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''.<ref name="comment" /><ref name="ears" /> The film's soundtrack was originally released by [[Buena Vista Records]] on June 22, 1988, and reissued on CD on April 16, 2002.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.filmtracks.com/titles/roger_rabbit.html |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Alan Silvestri) |publisher=Filmtracks |date=April 16, 2002 |access-date=November 12, 2011 |archive-date=November 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116001431/http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/roger_rabbit.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

On January 23, 2018, [[Intrada Records]] released a three-CD set with the complete score, alternates, and a remastered version of the original 1988 album, plus music from three [[Roger Rabbit short films]], composed and conducted by [[Bruce Broughton]] and [[James Horner]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.11361/.f?sc=13&category=-113|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (3CD)|publisher=Intrada's official press-release|date=January 23, 2018|access-date=January 25, 2018|archive-date=January 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126012704/http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.11361/.f?sc=13&category=-113|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Darren Tate|Mondo Records]] and [[Walt Disney Records]] reissued the original 1988 album on vinyl on September 17, 2021.

The film features performances of "[[Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2|Hungarian Rhapsody]]" ([[Tony Anselmo]] and [[Mel Blanc]]), "[[Why Don't You Do Right?#Amy Irving version|Why Don't You Do Right?]]" ([[Amy Irving]]), "[[The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down]]" ([[Charles Fleischer]]), and "[[Smile, Darn Ya, Smile!]]" (Toon Chorus).

==Release==
[[Michael Eisner]], then-[[CEO]], and [[Roy E. Disney]], who was the vice chairman of [[The Walt Disney Company]], felt the film was too risqué with adult themes and sexual references.<ref name="Mickey" /> Eisner and Zemeckis disagreed over various elements of it but since Zemeckis had [[final cut privilege]], he refused to make alterations.<ref name="ears" /> Roy E. Disney, head of [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]] along with studio chief [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]], felt it was appropriate to release the film under the studio's adult-orientated [[Touchstone Pictures]] banner instead of the flagship [[Walt Disney Pictures]] banner.<ref name="Mickey" />

=== Box office ===
The film opened in the United States on June 22, 1988, grossing $11,226,239 in 1,045 theaters during its opening weekend; it was in first place at the US box office.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1988W26/ | title=Weekend Box Office Results for June 24-26, 1988 | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] | date=June 27, 1988 | access-date=September 4, 2014 | archive-date=January 1, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101191654/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1988W26/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It was Disney's biggest opening weekend ever at the time of its release.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|title=Leading North American Film Boxoffice Weekends in History|last=Murphy|first=Arthur D.|date=October 31, 1989|page=53}}</ref> It went on to gross $154,112,492 in the United States and Canada and $197,387,508 internationally, coming to a worldwide total of $351,500,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Numbers: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit#tab=international |website=The Numbers |publisher=Nash Information Services, LLC. |access-date=1 July 2022 |ref=box office}}</ref> At the time of release, it was the 20th-highest-grossing film of all time.<ref>{{cite web | title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit | url = https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1987806721/ | work = [[Box Office Mojo]] | access-date = November 1, 2008 | archive-date = September 12, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200912225645/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1987806721/ | url-status = live }}</ref> It was also the second-highest-grossing film of 1988, behind only ''[[Rain Man]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title = 1988 Domestic Totals | work = [[Box Office Mojo]] | url = https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1988/ | access-date = November 1, 2008 | archive-date = October 31, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191031003800/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1988/ | url-status = live }}</ref> In the United Kingdom, the film also set a record opening for a Disney film.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=20 December 1993|title='Aladdin' isn't sharing B.O. wealth|page=16|last=Groves|first=Don}}</ref>

===Home media===
The film was first released on [[VHS]] on October 12, 1989,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-10-13-8901220676-story.html|title=More Toons For Grownup 'Roger' Fans|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=October 13, 1989 |access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=May 10, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510120851/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-10-13-8901220676-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and on [[DVD]] on September 28, 1999.

On March 25, 2003, [[Buena Vista Home Entertainment]] released it as a part of the "Vista Series" line in a two-disc collection with many extra features including a documentary, ''Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit''; a [[deleted scene]] in which a pig's head is "tooned" onto Eddie's; the three Roger Rabbit shorts, ''[[Tummy Trouble]]'', ''[[Roller Coaster Rabbit]]'', and ''[[Trail Mix-Up]]''; as well as a booklet and interactive games. The only short on the 2003 VHS release was ''Tummy Trouble''. The 2003 DVD release presents the film in Full Screen (1.33:1) on Disc 1 and Widescreen (1.85:1) on Disc 2.

On March 12, 2013, Disney released the film on [[Blu-ray]] and DVD combo pack special edition for the film's 25th anniversary.<ref name="HF">{{cite news|url=http://www.hitfix.com/news/who-framer-roger-rabbit-and-more-modern-disney-classics-head-to-blu-ray|title='Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and more modern Disney classics head to Blu-ray|last=Lewis|first=Dave|date=December 18, 2012|work=[[HitFix]]|access-date=January 28, 2013|archive-date=April 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417200543/http://www.hitfix.com/news/who-framer-roger-rabbit-and-more-modern-disney-classics-head-to-blu-ray|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CB">{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-Three-More-Disney-Titles-Hit-Blu-ray-March-34691.html|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit And Three More Disney Titles To Hit Blu-ray In March|last=Rawden|first=Jessica|date=December 18, 2012|publisher=Cinemablend.com|access-date=January 28, 2013|archive-date=December 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223100507/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/who-framed-roger-rabbit-three-more-disney-titles-hit-blu-ray-march-34691.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was also [[Film preservation#Digital Film Preservation|digitally restored]] for the release; frame-by-frame digital restoration was done by [[Prasad Studios]] removing dirt, tears, scratches, and other defects.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20141013095312/http://www.prasadgroup.org/downloads/pg-restore-v9-1.pdf prasadgroup.org, Digital Film Restoration]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-Gets-Digital-Restoration-25th-Anniversary-Screening-36149.html|title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit Gets Digital Restoration For 25th Anniversary Screening|date=March 4, 2013|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=June 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617232945/http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-Gets-Digital-Restoration-25th-Anniversary-Screening-36149.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] released the film on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] on December 7, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Milligan|first=Mercedes|date=2021-08-19|title=Cult Classic 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' Debuts on 4K in December|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/home-entertainment/cult-classic-who-framed-roger-rabbit-debuts-on-4k-in-december/|access-date=2021-08-20|website=Animation Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' received near-universal acclaim from critics, making ''[[Business Insider]]''{{'}}s "best comedy movies of all time, according to critics" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/best-comedy-movies-all-time-critics-2018-3|last=Lynch|first=John|date=March 16, 2018|title=The 100 best comedy movies of all time, according to critics|work=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=July 27, 2019|archive-date=July 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727223226/https://www.businessinsider.com/best-comedy-movies-all-time-critics-2018-3|url-status=live}}</ref> Review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on 76 reviews, and an average rating of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is an innovative and entertaining film that features a groundbreaking mix of live action and animation, with a touching and original story to boot."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/who_framed_roger_rabbit/ | title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit | work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | date = June 21, 1988 | publisher = [[Flixster]] | access-date = October 15, 2020 | archive-date = September 30, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200930193220/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/who_framed_roger_rabbit | url-status = live }}</ref> Aggregator [[Metacritic]] has calculated a [[weighted average]] score of 83 out of 100 based on 15 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.metacritic.com/movie/who-framed-roger-rabbit/critic-reviews | title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988): Reviews | work = [[Metacritic]] | publisher = [[CBS Interactive]] | access-date = November 1, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040311230559/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/whoframedrogerrabbit/|archive-date=March 11, 2004|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' was placed on 43 critics' top ten lists, third to only [[The Thin Blue Line (1988 film)|''The Thin Blue Line'']] and ''[[Bull Durham]]'' in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGilligan |first1=Pat |last2=Rowland |first2=Mark |title=100 Film Critics Can't Be Wrong, Can They? : The critics' consensus choice for the 'best' movie of '88 is . . . a documentary! |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-08-ca-257-story.html |access-date=June 27, 2020 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 8, 1989 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308123835/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-08-ca-257-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web|date=December 20, 2018|title=Cinemascore :: Movie Title Search|url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|access-date=July 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/|archive-date=December 20, 2018}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film four stars out of four, calling it "sheer, enchanted entertainment from the first frame to the last-- a joyous, giddy, goofy celebration of the kind of fun you can have with a movie camera." He writes that the opening cartoon is "a masterpiece; I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at an animated short. But then when a stunt goes wrong and the cartoon 'baby' stalks off the set and lights a cigar and tells the human director to go to hell, we know we're in a new and special universe."<ref>{{cite news | author-link = Roger Ebert | first = Roger | last = Ebert | url = https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/who-framed-roger-rabbit-1988 | title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit | work = [[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date = June 22, 1988 | access-date = March 23, 2021 | archive-date = April 13, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210413104818/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/who-framed-roger-rabbit-1988 | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' praised the film's "dazzling, jaw-dropping opening four-minute sequence"; he noted that the sequence alone took nearly nine months to animate.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Siskel|first1=Gene|title=Tooned In|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74160723/gene-siskel-on-who-framed-roger/|access-date=March 23, 2021|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|volume=142|issue=185|date=July 3, 1988|page=59|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506211036/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74160723/gene-siskel-on-who-framed-roger/|url-status=live}}</ref> Siskel gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Siskel|first1=Gene|title=Siskel's Flicks Picks|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74160932/gene-siskels-35-star-review-of-who/|access-date=March 23, 2021|work=Chicago Tribune|volume=142|issue=344|date=December 9, 1988|page=179|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506211001/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74160932/gene-siskels-35-star-review-of-who/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ebert and his colleague Siskel spent a considerable amount of time in the ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert]]'' episode in which they reviewed the film analyzing its painstaking filmmaking.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit/Aria/The Great Outdoors |series=Siskel & Ebert & the Movies |first1=Roger |last1=Ebert |first2=Gene |last2=Siskel |network=Syndicated |date=June 25, 1988 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bwyuw7igyk |access-date=March 23, 2021 |archive-date=November 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109013728/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bwyuw7igyk&gl=US&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> In evaluating their top ten films of the year, Siskel ranked it number two<ref>{{cite news |title=TOP TEN MOVIES: 1969-1998 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-10-15-9910200020-story.html |access-date=March 23, 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=October 15, 1999 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105043457/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-10-15-9910200020-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> while Ebert ranked it as number eight.<ref>{{cite web | last=Ebert | first=Roger | date=December 31, 1988 | title=The Best 10 Movies of 1988 | publisher=Roger Ebert's Journal | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/the-best-10-movies-of-1988 | access-date=August 3, 2016 | archive-date=July 25, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160725093123/http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/the-best-10-movies-of-1988 | url-status=live }}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' commented that this is "a film whose best moments are so novel, so deliriously funny and so crazily unexpected that they truly must be seen to be believed."<ref>{{cite news | author-link = Janet Maslin | first = Janet | last = Maslin | title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit | work = [[The New York Times]] | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/22/movies/review-film-new-laws-of-gravity-twist-humor-too-in-roger-rabbit.html | date = June 22, 1988 | access-date = June 7, 2012 | archive-date = May 25, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150525091220/http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/22/movies/review-film-new-laws-of-gravity-twist-humor-too-in-roger-rabbit.html | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Desson Thomson]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' considered ''Roger Rabbit'' to be "a definitive collaboration of pure talent. Zemeckis had Walt Disney Pictures' enthusiastic backing, producer Steven Spielberg's pull, Warner Bros.'s blessing, Canadian animator Richard Williams' ink and paint, [[Mel Blanc]]'s voice; [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman]]'s witty, frenetic screenplay; [[George Lucas]]' Industrial Light and Magic, and Bob Hoskins' comical performance as the burliest, shaggiest private eye."<ref>{{cite news |author-link=Desson Thomson |first=Desson |last=Thomson |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/whoframedrogerrabbitpghowe_a0b16f.htm |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=June 24, 1988 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |archive-date=November 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111130734/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/whoframedrogerrabbitpghowe_a0b16f.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gene Shalit]] on the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today Show]]'' also praised the film, calling it "one of the most extraordinary movies ever made".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlVLnju0xq0 |title=Roger Rabbit TV spot |website=[[YouTube]] |date=June 27, 2010 |access-date=September 18, 2017 |archive-date=July 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715192028/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlVLnju0xq0&feature=youtu.be |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Filmsite.org]] called it "a technically-marvelous film" and a "landmark" that resulted from "unprecedented cooperation" between Warner Bros. and Disney.<ref>[https://www.filmsite.org/whof.html AMC Filmsite: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106232834/https://www.filmsite.org/whof.html |date=November 6, 2020 }} Retrieved December 15, 2014</ref> On [[CNN]]'s 2019 miniseries ''[[The Movies (miniseries)|The Movies]]'', [[Tom Hanks]] called it the "most complicated movie ever made."<ref>{{cite web | last=Croot | first=James | date=October 20, 2019 | title=The Movies: Why you need to see Tom Hanks' impressive chronicle of US cinema | publisher=[[Stuff (company)|stuff]] | url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/116274917/the-movies-why-you-need-to-see-tom-hanks-impressive-chronicle-of-us-cinema | access-date=May 2, 2021 | archive-date=May 2, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502203820/https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/116274917/the-movies-why-you-need-to-see-tom-hanks-impressive-chronicle-of-us-cinema | url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Richard Corliss]], a writer for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', said, "The opening scene upstages the movie that emerges from it". Corliss was mainly annoyed by the [[Homage (arts)|homages]] to the [[Golden Age of American animation]].<ref>{{cite news | author-link = Richard Corliss | first = Richard | last = Corliss | title = Creatures of A Subhuman Species | url = https://time.com/archive/6712601/cinema-creatures-of-a-subhuman-species-who-framed-roger-rabbit/ | format = Registration required to read article | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date = June 27, 1988 | access-date = November 1, 2008 | archive-date = July 14, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140714045504/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,967766,00.html | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Chuck Jones]] made a rather scathing attack on the film in his book ''Chuck Jones Conversations''. Among his complaints, Jones accused Zemeckis of robbing Richard Williams of any creative input and ruining the piano duel that both Williams and he storyboarded.<ref>{{cite book | last=Furniss | first=Maureen | author-link=Maureen Furniss | date=2005 | title=Chuck Jones: Conversations | pages=152–153 | series=Conversations with Comic Artists | location=Jackson, Miss. | publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] | isbn=1-578067-2-86}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="7"| [[61st Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
| Art Direction: [[Elliot Scott]]; <br> Set Decoration: [[Peter Howitt (set decorator)|Peter Howitt]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="7"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989 |title=The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners |access-date=July 31, 2011 |work=oscars.org |archive-date=May 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502001817/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| [[Dean Cundey]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| [[Arthur Schmidt (film editor)|Arthur Schmidt]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]]
| [[Robert Knudson]], [[John Boyd (sound engineer)|John Boyd]], [[Don Digirolamo]], and [[Tony Dawe]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound Editing|Best Sound Effects Editing]]
| [[Charles L. Campbell]] and [[Louis Edemann]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]
| [[Ken Ralston]], [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]], [[Edward Jones (visual effects artist)|Edward Jones]], and [[George Gibbs (special effects artist)|George Gibbs]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Special Achievement Academy Award|Special Achievement Award]]
| Richard Williams
| {{won}}
|-
| [[American Cinema Editors|American Cinema Editors Awards]]
| [[American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical|Best Edited Feature Film]]
| Arthur Schmidt
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Annie Awards]]
| Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement
| Richard Williams
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[BMI Film & TV Awards]]
| Film Music Award
| [[Alan Silvestri]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 1988|Boston Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| Special Award
| Richard Williams
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-1980s/ |title=BSFC Winners: 1980s |website=[[Boston Society of Film Critics]] |date=July 27, 2018 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[42nd British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]
| [[Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/1989/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1989 |website=[[BAFTA]] |year=1989 |access-date=16 September 2016 |ref={{harvid|BAFTA|1989}}}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Dean Cundey
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Arthur Schmidt
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]]
| Elliot Scott
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]]
| George Gibbs, Richard Williams, Ken Ralston, and Edward Jones
| {{won}}
|-
| [[British Society of Cinematographers#Award categories|British Society of Cinematographers Awards]]
| [[British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film|Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film]]
| Dean Cundey
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://bscine.com/media/uploads/awards/bsc-cinematography-feature-film.pdf?v |title=Best Cinematography in Feature Film |access-date=June 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604021621/https://bscine.com/media/uploads/awards/bsc-cinematography-feature-film.pdf?v |archive-date=June 4, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Cahiers du Cinéma's Annual Top 10 Lists|Cahiers du Cinéma]]
| Best Film
| rowspan="3"| [[Robert Zemeckis]]
| {{draw|5th Place}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[14th César Awards|César Awards]]
| [[César Award for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Film]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.academie-cinema.org/evenements/ceremonie-des-cesar-1989/ |title=The 1989 Caesars Ceremony |publisher=[[César Awards]] |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1988|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/1988-97|title=Chicago Film Critics Awards – 1988–97|publisher=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]]|access-date=21 July 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422075211/http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/1988-97|archive-date=22 April 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[David di Donatello|David di Donatello Awards]]
| Best Foreign Producer
| [[Frank Marshall (filmmaker)|Frank Marshall]] and [[Robert Watts]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[41st Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing - Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Robert Zemeckis
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/1980s/1988.aspx?value=1988|title=41st DGA Awards |website=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[DVD Exclusive Awards]]
| Best Menu Design
| John Ross
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Evening Standard British Film Awards#1988 Winners|Evening Standard British Film Awards]]
| Best Actor
| [[Bob Hoskins]] {{small|(also for ''[[The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne]]'')}}
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[46th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/who-framed-roger-rabbit |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=July 10, 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1989}}}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| Bob Hoskins
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Motion Picture Sound Editors#Golden Reel Awards|Golden Reel Awards]]
| [[Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Dialogue and ADR for Feature Film|Best Sound Editing – ADR]]
| Larry Singer, Jessica Gallavan, Alan Nineberg, Charleen Richards, <br> and Lionel Strutt 
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| colspan="3"| [[Goldene Kamera|Golden Screen Awards]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[31st Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]
| [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score <br> Written for a Motion Picture or Television]]
| ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit (soundtrack)|Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' – Alan Silvestri
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/31st-annual-grammy-awards |title=31st Annual GRAMMY Awards |publisher=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=May 1, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| [[Hugo Award]]s
| [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation]]
| Robert Zemeckis, Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, and [[Gary K. Wolf]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1989-hugo-awards/ | work = The [[Hugo Award]]s | title = The Hugo Awards: 1989 | date = July 26, 2007 | access-date = November 1, 2008 | archive-date = June 12, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100612033831/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1989-hugo-awards/ | url-status = live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jupiter Award (film award)#11th Jupiter Award / 1989|Jupiter Awards]]
| Best International Film
| Robert Zemeckis
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[1989 Kids' Choice Awards|Kids' Choice Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie|Favorite Movie]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[1988 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards|Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards]]
| Special Citation
| Robert Zemeckis
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lafca.net/Years/1988.php |title=The 14th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards |website=[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Film Hall of Fame: Productions
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/ |title=Film Hall of Fame Productions |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-date=May 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511220305/http://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Sant Jordi Awards]]
| Best Foreign Film
| Robert Zemeckis
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="8"| [[16th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film|Best Fantasy Film]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="8"| <ref>{{cite web|title=Past Saturn Awards |url=https://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |work=[[Saturn Award]]s Organization |access-date=November 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219234921/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=December 19, 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Bob Hoskins
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Christopher Lloyd]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Joanna Cassidy]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Robert Zemeckis
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]]
| Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| Alan Silvestri
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
| George Gibbs, Ken Ralston, and Richard Williams
| {{won}}
|-
| [[45th Venice International Film Festival|Venice International Film Festival]]
| Children and Cinema Award
| Robert Zemeckis
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americancinemapapers.com/files/VENICE_1988.htm|title=VENICE 1988 – THE 45TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL|access-date=October 6, 2013}}</ref>
|-
| [[41st Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium]]
| Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551|title=Awards Winners|work=wga.org|publisher=Writers Guild of America|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551|archive-date=2012-12-05|access-date=2010-06-06}}</ref>
|}

==Legacy==
{{See also|Who Framed Roger Rabbit (franchise)|Toontown Online|Disney Renaissance}}
[[File:Mickey-mouse-bugs-bunny-113.jpg|thumb|right|''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' marks the first and so far the  only time in animation history that Disney's [[Mickey Mouse]] and [[Warner Bros.]]' [[Bugs Bunny]] (as well as [[Donald Duck]] and [[Daffy Duck]]) have ever officially appeared on-screen together. In order for Disney to use Warner Bros.' characters for the film, both companies came to an agreement in which the screen time for the Warner Bros. characters would be equal to that of the Disney characters.]]
The critical and commercial success of the film rekindled an interest in the Golden Age of American animation, and in addition to sparking the [[Modern animation in the United States|Silver Age of American animation]] and the [[Disney Renaissance]], it has also gained a cult following.<ref name="Gore" /><ref>[https://movieweb.com/best-cult-classic-animated-movies/ 22 Animated Cult Classics Worth Checking Out - MovieWeb]</ref> In November 1988, a few months after the film's release, Roger Rabbit made his guest appearance in the live-action and animated television special broadcast on [[NBC]] called ''[[Mickey's 60th Birthday]]'' in which to celebrate the 60th anniversary of [[Mickey Mouse]]. In 1991, [[Walt Disney Imagineering]] began to develop [[Mickey's Toontown]] for [[Disneyland Park (Anaheim)|Disneyland]], based on the Toontown that appeared in the film. The attraction also features a ride called [[Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin]].<ref name="Mickey">Stewart, p.88</ref> Three [[Roger Rabbit short films|theatrical animated shorts]] were also produced: ''[[Tummy Trouble]]'' was shown before ''[[Honey, I Shrunk the Kids]]''; ''[[Roller Coaster Rabbit]]'' was shown before ''[[Dick Tracy (1990 film)|Dick Tracy]]''; and ''[[Trail Mix-Up]]'' was shown before ''[[A Far Off Place]]''.<ref>{{cite news | author = Aljean Harmetz | title = Marketing Magic, With ''Rabbit'', for Disney Films | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = July 19, 1989 }}</ref><ref name="Maria">{{cite news | author = Maria Eftimiades | title = It's Heigh Ho, as Disney Calls the Toons to Work | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = April 29, 1990 }}</ref> The film also inspired a short-lived comic book and video game [[Spin-off (media)|spin-offs]], including [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988 video game)|two]] [[Hare Raising Havoc|PC games]], the Japanese version of ''[[The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle]]'' (which features Roger instead of Bugs), a [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit (NES game)|1989 game]] released on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], and a [[Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1991 video game)|1991 game]] released on the [[Game Boy]].<ref name="Maria" />

In December 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-16-209/with-20000-leagues-the-national-film-registry-reaches-700/2016-12-14/|title=With "20,000 Leagues," the National Film Registry Reaches 700|website=[[Library of Congress]]|access-date=May 26, 2017|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126213919/https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-16-209/with-20000-leagues-the-national-film-registry-reaches-700/2016-12-14/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Roger Rabbit'' served as inspiration for various [[Live-action animated|live-action/animation]] films in the following decades including ''[[Cool World]]'', ''[[Space Jam]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Failes |first=Ian |date=2016-11-15 |title=The Oral History of 'Space Jam': Part 1 - Launching the Movie |url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/oral-history-space-jam-part-1-launching-movie-144935.html |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Cartoon Brew |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Tom & Jerry (2021 American film)|Tom & Jerry]]'',<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fowler |first=Matt |date=2021-02-23 |title=Tom and Jerry Director on the Film's Roger Rabbit Influences |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/tom-and-jerry-director-on-the-films-roger-rabbit-influences |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> ''[[Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (film)|Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers]]'',<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.slashfilm.com/869710/chip-n-dale-rescue-rangers-writers-doug-mand-and-dan-gregor-talk-about-creating-a-spiritual-successor-to-who-framed-roger-rabbit-interview/ | title = Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers Writers Doug Mand And Dan Gregor Talk About Creating A Spiritual Successor To Who Framed Roger Rabbit | first = Ben | last = Silverio | date = May 20, 2022 | accessdate = May 21, 2022 | work = [[Slashfilm]] }}</ref> and ''[[Once Upon a Studio]]''.

===Controversies===
With the film's [[LaserDisc]] release, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' first reported in March 1994 that observers uncovered several scenes of antics from the animators that supposedly featured brief nudity of Jessica Rabbit. While undetectable when played at the usual rate of 24 [[film frame]]s per second, the LaserDisc player allowed the viewer to advance frame-by-frame to uncover these visuals. Whether or not they were actually intended to depict the nudity of the character remains unknown.<ref>{{cite news|title=No Underwear Under There|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-03-22-9403220085-story.html|access-date=August 18, 2013|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=March 22, 1994|archive-date=September 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922120511/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-03-22-9403220085-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Variety">{{cite news | author = Michael Fleming | url = https://variety.com/1994/voices/columns/jessica-rabbit-revealed-119154/ | title = Jessica Rabbit revealed | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date = March 14, 1994 | access-date = November 4, 2008 | archive-date = April 12, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130412045520/http://variety.com/1994/voices/columns/jessica-rabbit-revealed-119154/ | url-status = live }}</ref> Many retailers said that within minutes of the LaserDisc debut, their entire inventory was sold out. The run was fueled by media reports about the controversy, including stories on [[CNN]] and various newspapers.<ref>{{cite news | author = Adam Sandler | url = https://variety.com/1994/digital/features/rabbit-frames-feed-flap-119269/ | title = ''Rabbit'' frames feed flap | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date = March 16, 1994 | access-date = November 4, 2008 | archive-date = July 16, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150716162835/http://variety.com/1994/digital/features/rabbit-frames-feed-flap-119269/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Another frequently debated scene includes one in which Baby Herman [[the finger|extends his middle finger]] as he passes under a woman's dress and re-emerges with drool on his lip.<ref name="Variety" /><ref name="Snopes1">{{cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/who-stripped-jessica-rabbit/#add|title=Naked Jessica Rabbit|website=[[Snopes.com]]|date=August 6, 1996 |access-date=July 13, 2009|archive-date=January 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122200434/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/who-stripped-jessica-rabbit/#add|url-status=live}}</ref> In the scene where [[Daffy Duck]] and [[Donald Duck]] are dueling on pianos, some heard Donald call Daffy a "goddamn stupid nigger", rather than the scripted and recorded line "doggone stubborn little".<ref name="Schweizer">{{cite book|last1=Schweizer|first1=Peter|last2=Schweizer|first2=Rochelle|title=Disney: The Mouse Betrayed.|publisher=Regnery|year=1998|pages=[https://archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/143 143 & 144]|isbn=0-89526-387-4|url=https://archive.org/details/disneymousebetra00schw/page/143}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/quacking-wise/|title=Quacking Wise|date=December 30, 1998 |access-date=December 20, 2020|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506211001/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/quacking-wise/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Dave|title=[[Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia]]}}</ref>

===Legal issue===
Gary K. Wolf, author of the novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'', filed a lawsuit in 2001 against The Walt Disney Company. He claimed he was owed royalties based on the value of "gross receipts" and merchandising sales. In 2002, the trial court in the case ruled that these only referred to actual cash receipts Disney collected and denied Wolf's claim. In its January 2004 ruling, the California Court of Appeal disagreed, finding that expert testimony introduced by Wolf regarding the customary use of "gross receipts" in the entertainment business could support a broader reading of the term. The ruling vacated the trial court's order in favor of Disney and remanded the case for further proceedings.<ref>{{cite news | author = Paul Sweeting | title = Disney, ''Roger Rabbit'' author in spat | work = Video Business | date = February 5, 2004 | url = https://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA614737.html | access-date = November 4, 2008 | archive-date = February 1, 2002 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20020201210442/http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA614737.html | url-status = live }}</ref> In a March 2005 hearing, Wolf estimated he was owed $7 million. Disney's attorneys not only disputed the claim but also said Wolf owed Disney $500,000–$1 million because of an accounting error discovered in preparing for the lawsuit.<ref>{{cite news|author=Jesse Hiestand |url=https://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4903763-1.html |title=Roger Rabbit Animated In Court |work=[[AllBusiness.com]] |date=March 22, 2005 |access-date=November 4, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108212723/http://www.allbusiness.com/services/motion-pictures/4903763-1.html |archive-date=January 8, 2009 }}</ref> Wolf won the decision in 2005, receiving between $180,000 and $400,000 in damages.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1409831/disney-to-pay-wolf-rabbit-royalties |title=Disney To Pay Wolf 'Rabbit' Royalties |magazine=Billboard |date=July 5, 2005 |access-date=August 24, 2014 |archive-date=July 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140709120348/http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1409831/disney-to-pay-wolf-rabbit-royalties |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Proposed sequel===
Spielberg discussed a sequel in 1989 with [[J. J. Abrams]] as writer and Zemeckis as producer. Abrams' outline was eventually abandoned.<ref>{{cite AV media | author1 = [[J. J. Abrams]] | author2 = [[Dan Trachtenberg]] | date = March 11, 2016 | title = Episode 791: Nerdist Podcast - J.J. Abrams and Dan Trachtenberg | language = en | url = https://nerdist.com/nerdist-podcast-j-j-abrams-and-dan-trachtenberg/ | time = 01:24:55 | access-date = June 13, 2016 | publisher = [[The Nerdist Podcast]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160624024531/http://nerdist.com/nerdist-podcast-j-j-abrams-and-dan-trachtenberg/ | archive-date = June 24, 2016 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Nat Mauldin was hired to write a prequel titled ''Roger Rabbit: The Toon Platoon'', set in 1941 to 1943. Similar to the previous film, ''Toon Platoon'' featured many cameo appearances by characters from [[Golden age of American animation|The Golden Age of American Animation]]. It began with Roger Rabbit's early years, living on a farm in the midwestern United States.<ref name="Gore" /> With human Ritchie Davenport, Roger travels west to seek his mother, in the process meeting Jessica Krupnick (his future wife), a struggling Hollywood actress. While Roger and Ritchie are enlisting in the Army, Jessica is kidnapped and forced to make pro-[[Nazi German]] broadcasts. Roger and Ritchie must save her by going into [[Nazi-occupied Europe]] accompanied by several other Toons in their Army platoon. After their triumph, Roger and Ritchie are given a [[Hollywood Boulevard]] parade, and Roger is finally reunited with his mother and father, [[Bugs Bunny]].<ref name="Gore">{{cite book | author = [[Chris Gore]] | title = The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made | date = July 1999 | publisher = [[St. Martin's Press]] | location = New York City | chapter = Roger Rabbit Two: The Toon Platoon | pages = [https://archive.org/details/50greatestmovies00gore/page/165 165–168] | isbn = 0-312-20082-X | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/50greatestmovies00gore/page/165 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2005/08/07/script-review-roger-rabbit-ii-the-toon-platoon/ | title = Script Review: Roger Rabbit II: Toon Platoon | work = FilmBuffOnline.com | access-date = September 7, 2012 | archive-date = November 16, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121116205015/http://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2005/08/07/script-review-roger-rabbit-ii-the-toon-platoon/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

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" />

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! &#124; 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]]'' and given the 30th anniversary of ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'', Zemeckis reiterated in an interview with [[Yahoo! Movies]] that though the sequel's script is "wonderful", Disney is still unlikely to ever produce it, and he does not see the possibility of producing it as an original film for the streaming service [[Disney+]], as he feels that it does not make any sense as there is no "[[Disney Princess|Princess]]" in it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Butler|first=Tom|title=Robert Zemeckis on 'Welcome To Marwen', 'Back To The Future, and 'Roger Rabbit 2'|url=https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/robert-zemeckis-welcome-marwen-back-future-roger-rabbit-2-110025983.html|publisher=[[Yahoo! Movies]]|access-date=December 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228185850/https://uk.movies.yahoo.com/robert-zemeckis-welcome-marwen-back-future-roger-rabbit-2-110025983.html|archive-date=December 28, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> In November 2024, while promoting his latest film ''[[Here (2024 film)|Here]]'', Zemeckis again said that one of the reasons Disney will never produce the script, "as good as it is", is that Disney finds Jessica Rabbit "too hot", citing that they dressed her in a [[trench coat]] in the [[Disneyland]] attraction ''[[Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin]]''. Zemeckis said that the original film was made at the right time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sharf|first=Zack|title=Jessica Rabbit Too Hot for Disney? Robert Zemeckis Says Studio 'Can't Make a Movie With Her' Anymore: 'They Put Her in a Trench Coach' at Disneyland|date=November 2024 |url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jessica-rabbit-sexy-disney-robert-zemeckis-calls-out-studio-1236197376/|publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=November 2, 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of films featuring fictional films]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book | author = Mike Bonifer | title = The Art of Who Framed Roger Rabbit |date = June 1989| publisher = First Glance Books | isbn = 0-9622588-0-6}}
* {{Cite book | author = Martin Noble | title = Who Framed Roger Rabbit |date = December 1988| publisher = [[Virgin Books]] | others = [[Novelization]] of the film | isbn = 0-352-32389-2}}
* {{Cite book | author = [[Gary K. Wolf]] | title = Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit? |date = July 1991| publisher = [[Villard (imprint)|Villard]] | others = [[Spin-off (media)|Spin-off]] from the film and Wolf's ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' | isbn = 978-0-679-40094-3}}
* {{Cite book | author = Bob Foster | title = Roger Rabbit: The Resurrection of Doom | year = 1989 | publisher = [[Marvel Comics]] | others = Comic book sequel between ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' and the theatrical short ''[[Tummy Trouble]]'' | isbn = 0-87135-593-0}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wiktionary|Appendix:Roger Rabbit}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' essay [https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/WhoFramedRogerRabbit.pdf] by Alexis Ainsworth at [[National Film Registry]]
* {{IMDb title|0096438|Who Framed Roger Rabbit}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film|59159|Who Framed Roger Rabbit}}
* {{TCMDb title|95710|Who Framed Roger Rabbit}}
* {{Cite news | author = Ken P | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/04/01/an-interview-with-don-hahn | title = An Interview with Don Hahn | work = [[IGN]] | date = April 1, 2003 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070924102052/http://movies.ign.com/articles/391/391875p1.html | archive-date = September 24, 2007 | url-status = dead }}
* {{Cite news | author = Ken P | url = http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/391/391632p1.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030413235838/http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/391/391632p1.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = April 13, 2003 | title = An Interview with Andreas Deja | work = [[IGN]] | date = March 31, 2003 }}
* {{Cite news | author = Wade Sampson | url = https://www.mouseplanet.com/8606/The_Roger_Rabbit_That_Never_Was | title = The Roger Rabbit That Never Was | work = Mouse Planet | date = December 17, 2008 }}
* {{Cite news|url=http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&category2=&article_no=3840&page=1 |author=Andrew, Farago |author2=Bill Desowitz |title=Roger Rabbit Turns 20 |work=[[Animation World Network]] |date=November 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217083816/http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&category2=&article_no=3840&page=1 |archive-date=December 17, 2008}}

{{Navboxes
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{{Roger Rabbit}}
{{Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies}}
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{{Mickey Mouse in animation}}
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{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit''
|list1 =
{{Academy Award Best Sound Editing}}
{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects}}
{{Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director}}
{{Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation 1981–2002}}
{{Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film 1973–1990}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Director}}
}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Who Framed Roger Rabbit}}
[[Category:1988 films]]
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[[Category:Who Framed Roger Rabbit| ]]
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