Robert Zemeckis directed Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, an inventive fantasy comedy written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Loosely based on Gary K. Wolf’s 1981 novel “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?” the film stars Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, and Joanna Cassidy, with the voices of Charles Fleischer and uncredited Kathleen Turner.
Combining live-action and animation, the film is set in alternate history Hollywood, circa 1947, where humans and cartoon characters (“toons”) co-exist.
Eddie Valiant, a private investigator with a grudge against toons, must help exonerate Roger Rabbit, a toon framed for murder.
Disney purchased the film rights for the story in 1981, then brought Spielberg as executive producer Steven Spielberg and his production company, Amblin Entertainment. Zemeckis was brought on to direct, and Canadian animator Richard Williams was hired to supervise the animation sequences. Production was moved from Los Angeles to Elstree Studios in England to accommodate Williams and his animators.
The production budget rapidly expanded, and the shooting schedule ran longer than expected.
Upon release, June 22, 1988, the movie 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 second-highest-grossing film of 1988, behind the Oscar winning Rain Man.
It brought a renewed interest in animation, spearheading modern American animation and the Disney Renaissance.
Oscar Alert
The movie won 3 Oscars for Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Williams’ animation direction.
Critical Status
In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Screenplay by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, based on Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf
Produced by Frank Marshall, Robert Watts
Music by Alan SilvestriProduction companies: Touchstone; Amblin Entertainment; Silver Screen Partners
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release dates: June 22, 1988 (US)
Running time: 104 minutes
Budget $50.6 million
Box office $351.5 million
