Any time I get to write an update concerning Roger Rabbit, I'm a happy writer. Any time it happens shortly after the announcement of a new novel featuring the character by original author Gary K. Wolf, I'm floored. 20 some odd (nearing on to 30) years after the film was released, and we're getting fresh Rabbit news. Yay us!

And this news is down right bizarre. I've been ambivalent about the prospect of the full on Roger Rabbit sequel, partly because of the lack of involvement from Bob Hoskins. But mostly because none of the twenty-years-later sequels that have come out have been very good. But this news is different. This news might work.

According to Wolf, producer Erik von Wodtke has submitted a proposal to Disney for an full length animated featured called The Stooge (sharing the name with the 1952 Martin and Lewis film) that would star Roger Rabbit and Micky Mouse in a "musical buddy comedy.  This is a co-star pairing made in cartoon heaven.  Two iconic cartoon characters playing off one another in a story that has the heart and emotional soul of films like Wall-E and Toy Story."

On his site, Wolf claims the film take place in "five specific locations from the Disneyland park. It also introduces the Toon Train, an exciting and interesting way to travel through Toontown….The film features real-life people. Walt Disney costars. Orson Wells makes an appearance." however, later, in an interview with Ain't It Cool, he claimed that the film is expected to be entirely animated. Von Wodtke is currently looking for writers to work on the project.

Personally, I'd rather see a fully animated film treated kind of like the Muppet films, in that it's a movie that the movie star made rather then a depiction of events from his life. A movie that could be referenced in the Roger Rabbit sequel, if that ever happens (which Wolf says, "It’s not a case of making one instead of the other. In an ideal, rabbit-centric world, Disney will make both.") As such, I'd rather they left the real world people out of it, and saved them for a sequel.

I'm cautious, but excited about this news. A proposal is a looooong way from a movie, but at least there are people out there, trying to get stuff to happen. And with the anniversary of the release coming up, and the new novel, there might be increased buzz about Jessica's lovey-dovey. And I'd be much more open to a fully animated film then another half and half, if only because the stakes would be lower, and I feel it wouldn't damage the original film's reputation as much if it went horribly wrong.

Via /Film.he film features real-life people.  Walt Disney costars. Orson Wells makes an appearance.