In an interview with MTV while promoting the newly-released Back to the Future Blu-ray collection, Robert Zemeckis was quizzed about the status of the much-anticipated Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel.

On the parts of Peter S. Seaman and Jeffrey Price’s script he had read, Zemeckis said:

“It’s great… I think it’s gonna be great.”

A sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit has been rumoured since the first film, which was released back in 1988, became a critical and commercial success worldwide.

Don Hahn revealed in an interview with Empire magazine earlier this year that a sequel was definitely in development:

“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.”

So there, it seems after 12 years of waiting, we could have our long-awaited sequel after all.

Empire Online have a few tasty nuggets of information concerning a number of upcoming Disney projects, thanks to their interview with Don Hahn, the man behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Beauty & The Beast and The Lion King. The producer managed to offer a couple of choice tidbits, despite obviously wrestling with his own binding secrecy contract, and what he revealed is certainly exciting.

Firstly, a producer of the first Who Framed Roger Rabbit, you’d have to expect Hahn’s finger to be on the pulse for the long-rumoured sequel, and Hahn is indeed involved in the project.  News has been pretty scarce since it was announced back in November that the original’s writers were working on the script but Hahn definitely admitted that the project was ongoing (sort of).

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.

Still a huge shame that Eddie Valiant supposedly wont be reappearing (according to Bob Hoskins at least) considering the chemistry he had with the animated bunny, and the incredible work Hoskins did in bringing the character, and their interactions to life, but the project has me gripped already. I’d love to think of a plot where Roger and his fellow cartoons are threatened by the influx of new 3D technologies- now that would really get me excited. For now, we’ll just have to make do with Hahn’s implication that we will all have some new news soon.

The second intriguing, and potentially hugely exciting bit of news concerns a 3D release for Disney’s The Lion King:

I’m actually trying to work out a 3D conversion of The Lion King. I’ll be doing that when I go back to the States in a couple of weeks… It’s going to be spectacular – we will do a good job for ya! The technology is tremendous. We did A Nightmare Before Christmas a few years ago and Tim thought it was better than the original because it allows you to walk onto the set.

Empire added that Hahn was quick to point out that we shouldnt expect to see Simba, Zazu, Timon and Pumba for quite some time yet, as the boffins were taking their time to make sure they get it right.

This, of course, is not the first time 3D has been mentioned for a Disney feature-length cartoon- as far back as 2008, Hahn was talking confidently of a re-release of Beauty and the Beast for the format, and from what he was saying back then, the process is obviously possible:

By going back to the original animation files, which have been carefully archived for 17 years, and using the separate background, effects and character animation elements, we’re able to come up with a fun and unique 3-D experience for existing and new fans of the film.

If it is possible to achieve a gorgeous 3D version of a 2D cartoon successfully, I predict the result will be astounding. My only fear is that the 3D dollar may be having too much of an influence on the men who pull the strings, and that this new development may be a step too far. It is fair enough that features like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast were some of the first to include elaborately computer-generated backgrounds, an thus will lend themselves better to the 3D re-rendering, but I have to wonder how the traditionally created scenes will translate. My worst nightmare would be to have a classic re-configured to look like something out of Paper Mario. The ShoWest reaction to the Beauty & The Beast sequence would suggest otherwise, but the niggling fear will remain until I see something more concrete from either 3D project.

3D re-releases are a bit of a contentious issue. I was lucky enough, back in 2006, to see the re-released 3D version of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas at my local cinema and I am happy to say it was a beautiful experience. I fear I may not be the most unbiased of commentators for that particular project considering my long-standing love of the film (and utterly preposterous level of dedication to the merchandise), but I can say, as objectively as reasonably possible that the film worked well for the treatment.

But then, Burton’s stop-motion projects cannot realy be classed in the same breath as a straight Disney animation- even barring the CGI-enhanced sequences, it is difficult to imagine that particular medium translating as well as Burton’s models did. They already had an element of 3D about them, having been filmed on a 3D set with 3D characters, to try and reanimate a 2D film to incorporate 3D elements is a different prospect entirely. So, Hahn’s likening of that 3D treatment for The Lion King to Burton’s re-release in the interview would seem slightly odd.

Elsewhere, Hahn was quite forthcoming on the fate of Disney’s adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, which was rumoured to be the mouse house’s next hand-drawn offering:

It’s actually been tabled right now. It’s on the low shelf – we can’t reach it! But seriously, we don’t have the story. It’s a bit like Beauty And The Beast, which sat there for years. We cracked Beauty finally by putting in the objects and creating more plot. The Snow Queen we’ve had a lot of trouble with and I’ve spent years on it. I love it and I think it’s one of the last great fairy tales. It’s kind of crappy that it’s just sitting there right now.

And finally, though not quite as forthcoming here, Hahn did manage to give a little morsel away concerning the live action version of Maleficent, rumoured to be helmed by Tim Burton and starring Angelina Jolie:

That’s another one I can’t talk about! All I can say is that it’s in active development and will be pretty fun. It is great working again with Tim on Frankenweenie, though: I love that he’s back to doing puppets. But Maleficent is a way off and it’s a little too early to talk about it, except to say that it’s happening.

All very exciting stuff, so thanks to Empire and to Don Hahn’s ability to somehow tell secrets while at the same time keeping schtum! It is a shame about The Snow Queen, as it would be great to see Disney on fairy-tale ground again after the success of The Princess and the Frog, but I’m sure they’ll work out the problems and get it out in the coming years. For now, I’ll take the most excitement from the implied promise of more Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2 news coming soon, and pray that the 3D re-rendering of The Lion King does the masterpiece the justice it deserves.

HeyUGuys are conflicted.  We exist because we love film and celebrate the artistry and endeavour of anyone who has the sack to commit pen to paper and scenes to celluloid but sometimes we despair of a world where originality has been overthrown by the banal, the safe and the (ick) reimagined.  As a rule we’d prefer not to revisit old ground but – as a wiser man than HUG once observed – it is the exception that proves the rule.

Empire and Jameson understand that wisdom well and, furnished with this knowledge, created the genius that is the Done in 60 Seconds project.  Done in 60 Seconds is a competition which encourages budding filmmakers and movie lovers worldwide to celebrate and encapsulate their favourite celluloid triumphs in one short minute of film.  The longlist of entries was assembled last autumn and, after careful consideration, reduced to a shortlist of twenty sixty second films which were presented to an illustrious judging panel and a motley crew of journalists (and biased friends) this evening at London’s 24 Club.

It would be impossible for us to accurately capture here the utter brilliance of the entries.  Suffice it to say, if you have never seen the Evil Dead story told entirely in plasticine, Top Gun recreated with slurs on $cientology or There Will Be Blood in its arcade game incarnation you should click the links and prepare to be bowled over!

Empire assembled a panel of judges, including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s Edgar Wright, to crop the list to a manageable five ahead of Sundays Jameson Empire Awards when the winner will be announced.  HeyUGuys will of course be on the red carpet and inside the after party to bring you the news as it happens but, in the meantime we have the Top Five 60 second movies for you and a wee word from Mr Wright himself.

The nominees, in no particular order, are:

Irish entry, There Will Be Less Blood (Tom Rowley, Dublin 8.)

Russian entry, True Lies

UK entries, Evil Dead (submitted by Lee Hardcastle), Top Gun (Mark Wong / produced by Chris Slaughter) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (Michael Whaite)

When we exclusively caught up with Edgar Wright moments after the decision he told us the judges were fairly unanimous in their choices.  There were no dramatic battles over the nominees because the Top Five were clear to all three.  Despite appearing at the 24 Club on only two hours sleep, Edgar was gracious (and coherent) about the overwhelming reaction he has had to the newly released Scott Pilgrim trailer which debuted at Kick-Ass screenings around the country tonight.  He acknowledged finding the excitement over the 80 second trailer “weird” but had had “so much fun” on the judging panel that he was distracted from the hysteria.  On our journey home we also noted that Mr Wright had had the cheek to pinch one of HeyUGuys exclusive Twitter photos to share with his army of fans across the Twitterverse.  Ordinarily we’d cry foul but we’ll excuse one of the site’s favourite directors as long as Scott Pilgrim lives up to the promise of its trailer.

As for the HUG verdict: well, we had a bit of a soft spot for Seam Callanan’s condensed Inglourious Basterds and an amazingly clever clown take on District 9.  That aside, we rather agreed with the judges’ verdicts.  It will be interesting to see which film triumphs at Sundays Jameson Empire Awards and whether its creator goes on to greater (and longer) glory in the future.  For now we have had an amazing night at the mini-movies and we look forward to seeing what Sunday will bring…

With huge thanks to Empire, Jameson & Mauricio Samayoa at We Are Social!



Twenty one years ago Robert Zemeckis did the impossible. He created a world where all cartoon characters lived together regardless of which studios they ‘worked’ for, and set the riotous chaos of ToonTown alongside the human Hollywood and in treating these characters as actors in their own cartoon films and having them interact seamlessly with the live action smashed the fourth wall with a charm and expertise that should have heralded a  new phase in animation features.

It was a truly wonderful film, with Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant and Christopher Lloyd as the epically spooky Judge Doom acting up a storm with their cartoon compatriots the arrogant Baby Herman, Benny the fearless cab and, of course, ToonTown’s own odd couple, Jessica and Roger Rabbit.

The writing was witty and self referential without ever becoming parodic, the Toons themselves were so well rounded they fitted in perfectly with the established characters, some of the most famous of the 20th century, and the concept of the cartoon and human worlds co-existing is stunningly original yet it seemed so obvious in its execution here. Nothing has come close, on a technical and imaginative level, to matching this film.

That may be about to change however, as MTV have spoken with director Robert Zemeckis about the oft proposed follow up to Roger Rabbit, and he has revealed that the original writers are back on board with developing another film. Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman are developing the script, of which little else is known. The writer of Who Censored Roger Rabbit, Gary Wolf, did pen another Roger Rabbit story, Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit but it is not known if this will play any part of the new film.

It is a wonderful world Zemeckis and the writers created, and I would revisit it in a heartbeat – its chaos and silly sense of delight and fun, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the world of cartoons is a joy.

I would love to see this done as it was twenty one years ago, practical effects – no CG, and certainy not motion capture…

Click here to read the MTV post and watch Zemeckis talk up the film.