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A lone, costumed, umbrella-wielding Looney Tunes fan is single-handedly trying to drum up public outcry over the cancellation of the live-action/animated comedy Coyote vs. Acme after the film finished production. Fight hard, comrade, and look out for riot police, giant red Xs and dangling pianos.

Back in late 2023, controversial Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav pulled numerous completed projects from the media mega-conglomerate’s release schedule that the previous Warner Bros. regime greenlit prior to the merger that put him in charge of the Warner Bros. movie empire the year before. Among the list of franchise films that Zaslav axed in favor of a tax cut was Coyote vs. Acme, a legal comedy with a star-studded cast that would have provided a fresh take on the hapless cartoon coyote’s constantly backfiring pursuit of his mortal enemy, the Roadrunner.

Thanks to Zaslav’s love of crooked Hollywood accounting, Wile E.

As a Brit, I may be a little biased when I say this: The opening ceremony for the London 2012 Summer Olympics was the best ever. Directed by Danny Boyle, the usual hour of dancers and acrobats twirling around was spectacular and silly, complete with skits celebrating the Industrial Revolution, the NHS, and the nation's rich cultural scene. Movie buffs also got two special treats: Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean daydreaming about beating the boys from "Chariots of Fire" in their famous beach race, and Queen Elizabeth II making her screen debut opposite Daniel Craig's James Bond before her stunt double sky-dived into the stadium. It was surely the best trailer "Skyfall," which hit theaters a few months later, could have hoped for.

The music of the Fab Four featured heavily during the ceremony, complete with Sir Paul McCartney wrapping things up by leading a sing-a-long to "Hey Jude." As such,...

One of Disney's original cartoon characters is getting his own show from a notable Marvel/Star Wars creator!

Disney+ is home to scores of shows and movies based on Disney's wide range of animated characters. From classic ones to new ones like Bluey, Disney+ is on the lookout for more properties. Now, per Deadline, Disney is planning a new series based on Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It's described as a live-action/animation hybrid which is an interesting direction.

The show will be headlined by Jon Favreau, a name many will know. The writer/director/actor basically kick-started the MCU with 2008's Iron Man, which he directed and played Happy Hogan. 

Favreau then began Disney+'s Star Wars series as producer/writer on The Mandalorian and built that entire division up well. He also directed the live-action versions of The Jungle Book and The Lion King so he knows how to mix animation and live-action well.

Mutant is bringing the scores to a pair of Netflix original movies to vinyl for the very first time.

Both Alan Silvestri’s score for “The Electric State,” which premieres next week on the streaming service, and Scot Stafford’s score for “Ultraman: Rising,” which hit Netflix last summer, are available later today on Mutant’s official site.

Silvestri’s score for “The Electric State” is so wonderful; you will be transported to the first time you watched “Back to the Future” as a kid. It adds so much wonder and magic to the mega-budgeted Russo Brothers film. And “Ultraman: Rising” combines various influences to create a singular, intoxicating score, for the inaugural animated feature based on the classic Japanese pop culture character.

You can check out the full details below:

Mutant/Netflix

The Electric State – Music from the Netflix Original Film

Music by Alan Silvestri

Pressed on 2x 140gm Color Vinyl

$45

Mutant,...

Plot: In an alternate 1990s devasted by a war between humans and robots, a young woman (Millie Bobby Brown) teams up with a former soldier (Chris Pratt) to find her long-lost brother, who’s somewhere in a no man’s land populated by the robots who once fought mankind.

Review: The Electric State is perhaps Netflix’s most ambitious film to date. Sporting a budget that’s said to be in the $320 million range, which would make it one of the most expensive movies ever made, it’s as lavish and high-concept as anything you’d find in theaters. Yet, it also takes intriguing source material, in this case, Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel of the same title, and turns it into episodic, easy-to-watch fare you can wander in and out of without missing much plot. As such, it’s impressively mounted but still a streaming movie to its core for better or for worse.

Before the 2001 film year, it had always been a subject of debate in years prior as to whether the Academy Awards should create a category for animated features. That finally came to fruition with an uptick in the amount of animated movies that were released annually. Prior to the category being established, several animated films would occasionally win special prizes. Such films included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 (for which Walt Disney received a normal-sized Oscar and seven miniature ones), Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988 and Toy Story in 1995. Beauty and the Beast also managed a major feat in 1991 when it became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, eventually losing to The Silence of Lambs.

Tour our photo gallery below to see every Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, from Shrek to the most recent.

Updated: March 2, 2025...

In Robert Zemeckis' whimsical film noir "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," the alcoholic detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) has to, in the course of his investigations, travel to a particularly dangerous part of Los Angeles. Toontown, located out by Pasadena, is the cordoned-off part of the city where its cartoon citizens all live, and it has been built specifically with a toon citizenry in mind. The laws of physics change in Toontown, and even the buildings are alive and conscious. Eddie, a live-action human, finds himself in constant mortal peril. 

In one standout sequence, Eddie finds himself plummeting off the top of a Toontown high-rise. While in free-fall, he encounters two familiar faces. Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc) and Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine), outfitted in skydiving gear, pull up next to Eddie and casually point out that skydiving with a parachute is kind of dangerous. They eventually offer Eddie a spare parachute...

The news that Kathleen Kennedy will be stepping down as President of Lucasfilm later this year broke this morning, and THR has now shared an update with a list of potential candidates to replace her - and one of the names is none other than current Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.

Star Wars creator George Lucas hand-picked Kennedy as his successor back in 2012 before selling his ownership stake to Disney. Now, for the first time, the Mouse House will pick somebody new to lead the next era of the galaxy far, far away.

Kennedy came in for a lot of criticism over the years for a number of missteps associated with the franchise, but there's no arguing with the huge level of success she managed to achieve, and insiders believe finding a replacement will be no easy task.

Outside of Star Wars, Kennedy played a part in developing the likes...

Today, Lucasfilm announced the return of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith to the big screen on April 25 to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. The film will run in U.S. theaters and select international territories for one week only and will be available in several formats, including, for the first time, 4Dx. 4Dx features high-tech motion chairs that sync with over 21 effects, all designed to complement the narrative of the film.

Renowned graphic artist Matt Ferguson created an exciting new poster for the re-release event.

Revenge of the Sith takes place years after the onset of the Clone Wars, when the noble Jedi Knights lead a massive clone army into a galaxy-wide battle against the Separatists. When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi Hero Anakin Skywalker is...

Kathleen Kennedy became the president of Lucasfilm in 2012, when Disney bought the company for $4 billion. With original founder George Lucas gone, it fell to Kennedy to chart the next era of Star Wars. Now, after 13 years and a great many highs and lows, Puck reports that Kennedy, who is now 71 years old, will retire by the end of the year.

It will be the end of an era at Lucasfilm, and different fans will tell you whether it was a good or a bad one. Kennedy relaunch the Star Wars film franchise in 2015 with The Force Awakens, which grossed over $2 billion at the box office. Follow-up films The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker were also big hits, but much more contentious among fans. Under Kennedy, Lucasfilm tried to get into a rhythm of releasing standalone Star Wars movies; Rogue One was a big hit while Solo became the...

The end of an era will soon be upon us, as a report from Puck says Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy plans to retire before the end of the year. Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside Star Wars creative George Lucas. A few short months into her position, Lucasfilm sold to Disney for $4 billion, prompting Lucas to pack his bags and retire to Skywalker Ranch.

Kennedy made her mark at the studio by relaunching the Star Wars universe with J.J. Abrams’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While the film banked $2 billion globally, the reset was ill-received by many long-time franchise fans. Regardless of online bellyaching, Kennedy pressed onward with two more entries in the core series, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Kennedy took the Star Wars franchise in questionable directions, creatively and financially, throughout her tenure. She hired Chris Lord and Phil Miller...

After more than a decade in a galaxy far, far away, Kathleen Kennedy is charting a course toward retirement. The Lucasfilm boss has told associates she plans to retire by the end of 2025, a source confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. Puck reported the news Monday night.

Reps for Kennedy and Lucasfilm were not immediately available for comment.

Kennedy joined Lucasfilm in 2012 as co-chair alongside Star Wars creator George Lucas, and a few months later took the reins after Disney paid $4 billion for the company and Lucas exited.

She relaunched the franchise, beginning with J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), which grossed more than $2 billion globally and reinvigorated the property as a big screen brand. Disney released a Star Wars film every year from 2015-2019 and then took a pause following Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which received a mixed response and earned just half of what Force...

Though the summer movie season of 1988 would not officially begin until the May 20 opening of Ron Howard and George Lucas' "Willow," movie buffs hungry for spectacle after enduring an unusually weak spring (led by Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" and Oscar-winning holdovers like "The Last Emperor" and "Moonstruck") were eagerly looking forward weeks in advance of this kickoff and wondering which of the studios' big-ticket offerings would satisfy as wholly as "The Untouchables," "RoboCop," and "Predator" had done the previous year. Amid the glut of mostly unpromising sequels, there were two seemingly sure things (Robert Zemeckis' "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and the Eddie Murphy vehicle "Coming to America") and a smattering of originals toplined by some of the biggest stars in the industry.

And then there was "Die Hard."

As you likely know, John McTiernan's classic was initially viewed by some as a looming folly based on 20th Century Fox...

Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, the wife-and-husband producers who have 13 Oscar nominations and an Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award between them, will be honored at the Oscar Wilde Awards next month.

The 19th annual event is scheduled for Feb. 27, three days before the Academy Awards, at the historic Ebell theater in Los Angeles. Actors John C. Reilly and Éanna Hardwicke will be saluted as well.

Also new to the lineup is Will Ferrell, who will introduce Reilly and hand him his trophy. The pair, of course, have co-starred in such films as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Step Brothers (2008) and Holmes & Watson (2018).

Created by the US-Ireland Alliance, the Oscar Wilde Awards celebrate the work of those from Ireland — and some who are not — who contribute to film, television and music. (Kennedy, with eight Oscar noms, and Marshall, with five, are Californians born in Berkeley and Glendale, respectively.

Trigger Warning: This article discusses sensitive topics, including suicide, which may be distressing for some readers. Please proceed with caution or refrain from reading if you find such content triggering.

Jeff Baena, director and husband of Aubrey Plaza, has passed away at 47 years old. The director was a notable name in the indie world, having worked on several notable works, including Life After Beth (2014), Horse Girl (2020), and I Heart Huckabees (2004). He often worked closely with writer David Owen Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) and acclaimed producer Robert Zemeckis.

According to a report by Variety, Baena was found by an assistant in his Los Angeles home on Friday, January 3. Though no cause of death has officially been listed, law enforcement reports that he died by suicide, per TMZ. There has not yet been any word from his or Plaza's representatives.

Jeff Baena's Career on Screen Baena Leaves Behind a Notable Legacy...

Could Disneyland's Roger Rabbit ride be on the way out and a new replacement in the works? There's evidence it could happen!

It's no secret that Disney has a habit of remaking some older rides. It's the nature of the business as they want to keep things fresh and with very few exceptions, just about every ride in Disneyland has been altered from opening day.

One interesting case is Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. The dark ride has been the central attraction of the Toontown area since that expansion opened in 1993. Based on the 1988 hit Who Framed Roger Rabbit, it's a fun attraction, sending guests spinning through Roger and his friends tangling with enemies.

The ride has retained a following even if it's been shifted a few times over the years. Most recently, in 2021, Jessica Rabbit got a makeover that added a raincoat over her famed body for a detective character.

Disney's Enchanted, a beloved classic with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, is an excellent movie to watch this holiday season. Enchanted has stellar songs, a star-studded cast, and a compelling narrative. The movie even has a sequel, Disenchanted, although it is not nearly as successful as its predecessor. Like the title, the characters are enchanting, from Prince Edward's (James Marsden) dimwitted and kind character, to Queen Narissa's (Susan Sarandon) cunning plans, to Giselle's (Amy Adams) optimistic and romantic personality. Although Enchanted's Giselle is not an official Disney Princess, she is still widely beloved and one of the best unofficial Disney Princesses.

Enchanted is also one of Disney's rare hybrid films — a movie that contains animation and live-action, although Enchanted is predominantly the latter. Regardless, the combination is a key aspect of the film's storytelling. The cast comprises many favorites, also including Patrick Dempsey, Idina Menzel, and Timothy Spall. Enchanted...

Chinatown, the legendary 1974 mystery film, will receive a special 4K Ultra HD release set for January 14th, 2025. Pre-order your copy now.

Directed by Roman Polanski, starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, and written by the late Robert Towne, Chinatown follows a homicide mystery tied within a series of corruption attempts in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in 1937. It was lauded instantly upon its release in 1974, with critics hailing Nicholson’s performance as private investigator J.J. “Jake” Gittes, Dunaway’s performance as the mysterious Evelyn Mulwray, Polanski’s neo-noir direction, Towne’s multi-layered screenplay, and Jerry Goldsmith’s musical score.

Chinatown received 11 Oscar nominations at the 47th Academy Awards in 1975, with Towne winning for Best Original Screenplay. It inspired a bevy of mystery films that followed, like L.A. Confidential, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Inherent Vice.

The release includes a 4K Uhd physical disc as well as a digital code,...

Although cinema is an art form, first and foremost, it is also a business that requires financial support to be sustained. A healthy box office is necessary for the medium to remain a cornerstone of popular culture, as studios will only be willing to invest in future projects if it is proven that there is an audience that is willing to go out and see them. 2024 was a year in which there were tremendous box office highs, but the delays due to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes did lead to some crushing lows.

Box office performances are a compelling way to examine where the industry is headed, but it is not necessarily an indication of quality. Although films like “Deadpool & Wolverine,” “Inside Out 2,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” and “Wicked: Part One” performed extraordinarily well this year, few publications that take themselves seriously...

Kathleen Kennedy is set to be honored by the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) with the 2025 ASC Board of Governors Award, the organization announced Wednesday.

The ceremony will take place Feb. 23 at the 39th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. The ceremony will be streamed live worldwide.

In a statement, ASC President Shelly John said that “Kathleen Kennedy’s extraordinary career has left an enduring mark on the world of cinema. Her keen eye for storytelling is unparalleled. She consistently brings forth projects that elevate and confirm her trust in the director and cinematographer relationship. Recognizing it as the backbone of great filmmaking, her movies consistently showcase this belief. Her dedication to visual excellence has made her a true trailblazer in the film industry.”

Kennedy was previously a recipient of the 2018 Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, which was bestowed upon her by The...

The American Society of Cinematographers will honor Oscar-nominated producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy with its 2025 Board of Governors Award at the ASC’s Feb. 23 awards gala in Beverly Hills.

“Kathleen Kennedy’s extraordinary career has left an enduring mark on the world of cinema,” said ASC President Shelly Johnson. “Her keen eye for storytelling is unparalleled. She consistently brings forth projects that elevate and confirm her trust in the director and cinematographer relationship. Recognizing it as the backbone of great filmmaking, her movies consistently showcase this belief. Her dedication to visual excellence has made her a true trailblazer in the film industry.”

The ASC Board of Governors Award recognizes individuals in the industry whose body of work has made significant and indelible contributions to cinema. It is reserved for filmmakers who are champions for directors of photography and the visual art form.

Kennedy is an eight-time Oscar nominee and...

The third annual Dances With Films NY festival announced their wins on Dec. 11, celebrating new talent in the world of independent film.

The audience choice winners were Kristen Hansen’s “Sonny Boy” for best narrative feature and Mikaela Shwer’s “The Kids Are Not Alright” for best documentary feature.

This year, the newly established Midnight category spotlighted genre films. The winners in this section were Andrew Bell’s “Bleeding” for best midnight feature and Benedict Chiu’s “Boy Band” for best midnight short. Dances With Films also provides a platform for pilots and proof of concept projects, with the audience winner being Ruthie Marantz’s “Raging Doll.”

For the industry awards, Chris Beier’s “The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia” won in the “Over 40 Minutes” category while Matthew Perkins’ “Fortune” won in the “Under 40 Minutes” category.

Over the course of four days, the festival screened 146 films, including 92 short films, 22 narrative and midnight features,...

On December 5, the IndieWire Honors Winter 2024 ceremony will celebrate the creators and stars responsible for crafting some of the year’s best films. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, IndieWire Honors is a celebration of the filmmakers, artisans, and performers behind films well worth toasting. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event.

When filmmaker Chris Sanders began to imagine what his fifth animated film, “The Wild Robot,” might look like on the big screen, he was stuck on one crucial idea: how to turn Peter Brown’s deep-feeling and beautifully rendered YA novel about a caring robot and the baby goose she adopts into a movie for everyone.

“One of the things we talked about a lot, was how do you make a movie like this for a broad audience?” Sanders said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “We’ve...

The wizards behind several of this year’s biggest animated films that are jockeying for awards consideration sat down recently with Gold Derby. They discuss various topics, including the animation that inspired them to pursue that field, the recent pieces of animation that blew their minds and where they’d like to see animation go in the future. This was all part of Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts panel on Film Animation that included Josh Cooley (“Transformers One”), Chris Sanders (“The Wild Robot”), and Peter Browngardt (“The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie”).

You can watch the film animation group panel above with the people behind these three films. Click on each person’s name above to be taken to each individual interview.

When remembering the animation that first influenced them, Cooley was quick to remember both Looney Tunes cartoons as well as the groundbreaking movie “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?...

Robert Zemeckis' Here has finally been released, but the film is a reminder of a harsh reality 39 years after Back to the Future. While Robert Zemeckis has directed all kinds of beloved movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away, Back to the Future is arguably the director's most popular and influential work. The fingerprints of Back to the Future can still be seen 39 years after the film's 1985 release, with one aspect of Here calling back to Robert Zemeckis' iconic time travel movie.

2024's Here is the newest movie from director Robert Zemeckis, with the film acting as a Forrest Gump reunion due to Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Robert Zemeckis all working together again. Here is built on some interesting gimmicks, with the film focusing on a singular house that is shown throughout the decades. Here utilizes only one camera angle throughout, making for a truly unique viewing experience.

Director Robert Zemeckis is used to conjuring the impossible.

In “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” he had flesh-and-blood actors like Bob Hoskins convincingly interact with animated characters; with “Forrest Gump” he had the title character (essayed by Tom Hanks) meet famous historical figures; “What Lies Beneath” imagined what would happen if Alfred Hitchcock had access to cutting-edge visual effects. He made three entire movies exclusively using performance capture technology. And on and on and on.

His latest film “Here,” which is now playing in theaters, offered a different sort of challenge – the entire movie is told from a fixed vantagepoint, through various eras. The camera never moves. It begins in prehistoric times, eventually settling into a handful of suburban living rooms throughout the years. The one we chiefly focus on is the home of Hanks and Robin Wright, both “Forrest Gump” alums, who begin in the 1960s and travel through modern day.

“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” is an anomaly of a film. It is a live-action/animated hybrid film that seemed to lean more towards adults, but it was somehow released by Disney. However, decades later, it’s a film that many film fans hold dear in their hearts. That doesn’t mean a sequel is coming anytime soon, or at all, according to filmmaker Robert Zemeckis.

Read More: Robert Zemeckis Says ‘Back To The Future’ Sequels “Can’t Be Done” & Says Disney Isn’t Interested In ‘Roger Rabbit’ Sequel

Speaking on a recent episode of the “Happy.

Continue reading Robert Zemeckis Says ‘Roger Rabbit’ Sequel Won’t Get Made Because Of Jessica Rabbit at The Playlist.

Robert Zemeckis says that Jessica Rabbit has been a stumbling block for Disney with a possible Roger Rabbit 2.

Robert Zemeckis’ Here is, well, here, reuniting the veteran director with his Forrest Gump stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. Given that the filmmaker’s latest opus uses digital de-ageing, restoring Hanks and Wright to youthful versions of themselves, it feels only right that Zemeckis is doing his fair share of reminiscing too. And he has been, answering questions on Here’s press tour about several of his past films. One story in particular caught our eye.

When asked on the HappySadConfused podcast if a sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit could ever happen, Zemeckis poured cold water on the prospect, saying: “There’s a good script sitting at Disney, but here’s the thing… the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today… They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it.

Here stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright respond to the critics' negative reviews of their film. Robert Zemeckis's latest production saw both Hanks and Wright reunite following 1994's Oscar-winning movie Forrest Gump, alongside many key players, such as screenwriter Eric Roth, cinematographer Don Burgess, and composer Alan Silvestri. Unfortunately, Here has been negatively reviewed by critics and audiences and is currently sitting at a 36% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

In an interview with The New York Times, Wright and Hanks addressed the negative reception the film has been getting. Wright defended the movie, stating that it is a simple but beautiful movie that's profoundly real and human, while Hanks explained that the response could be cynical only by "the lowest common denominator." Check out their full comments below:

Wright: It is so simple and beautiful and real and human. We all have experienced something in this movie.

Hanks: I...

Jessica Rabbit is not bad - she's just drawn that way - but Who Framed Roger Rabbit director Robert Zemeckis believes the 'Toon femme fatale's curves might be a little too dangerous for Disney.

If you've never seen 1988's classic live-action/animation hybrid, you might be surprised (or even shocked) by how much risqué content was allowed to be featured in a PG-rated movie. There's kidnapping, voyeurism, drug use, a truly terrifying villain (Christopher Lloyd's Judge Doom), and the rather horrific murder of a cute cartoon shoe that traumatized an entire generation of kids.

Even so, Zemeckis feels that Roger's notoriously seductive wife, Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner), is the main reason we still haven't seen a sequel.

While being interviewed for the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, the filmmaker was asked about a potential Who Framed Roger Rabbit follow-up.

"There's a good script [for a sequel] at Disney, but here's...

One of the most beloved movies Disney released during the 1980s was the live-action/animated hybrid film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The murder mystery, set in the early days of Hollywood, was an innovator in the world of special effects, seamlessly combining live actors. Animation director Richard Williams was given a Special Achievement Award at the 1989 Academy Awards for his efforts.

Over the years, the film has been seen as a cult classic, receiving multiple short films and even getting its very own dark ride, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, at both Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland.

However, whenever the subject of a possible sequel pops up, it usually ends in “It can’t happen because of X or Y.” Aside from the various character licenses, the production was a collaboration between Disney and Amblin Entertainment, meaning that they would have to mutually agree to green-light a sequel.

Now it...

Three decades after making “Forrest Gump,” director Robert Zemeckis is once again looking back in time and pushing filmmaking boundaries as he reteams with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for his latest effort, “Here.”

Hanks and Wright play a married couple who are seen at many ages and life stages in the film, thanks to Zemeckis’ deft use of bleeding edge techniques including an AI-assisted aging and de-aging process to convey a lifetime. That meant paying meticulous attention to the specificity of a person’s body movements at a given age. To cite but one example, how one bounces off a couch as a nimble teenager is very different from how that same person gets up from a couch as a 60-something.

“You had to gear up for, in the morning you’re going to be 17, and in the afternoon you’re going to be 22,” Hanks tells Variety.

Hanks prepared...

Robert Zemeckis has some bad news for fans who would love to see a sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

The director appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz this week to discuss his newest film Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. During the conversation, the host asked the filmmaker about a potential Roger Rabbit sequel.

“There’s a good script sitting at Disney, but here’s the thing: Here’s what you have to know, and you know this, the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today,” Zemeckis said. “They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it.”

Though it would seem, in theory, that the company wouldn’t pass up on what would probably be a popular sequel, the director pointed to Jessica Rabbit’s new Toontown ensemble in Disneyland, which is different than her appearance in the 1988 film.

“Look what they...

The director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit doesn’t think the cult classic could be made today.

Although a script has been completed for a sequel, Robert Zemeckis recently explained why the follow-up “isn’t ever going see the light of day, as good as it is,” more than 35 years after the original Disney/Amblin film premiered.

“There’s a good script [for a sequel] at Disney, but here’s the thing: The current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today,” he said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it.”

Zemeckis added, “I mean, look what they did to Jessica at the theme park. They trussed her up in a trench coat, you know.”

Who Framed Roger Rabbit stars Bob Hoskins as private eye Eddie Valiant, who is hired to find out if the titular cartoon star’s (voiced by Charles Fleischer) seductive wife...

Robert Zemeckis was the latest guest on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast as he made the press rounds for his latest directorial effort “Here,” which reunites him with “Forrest Gump” stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright. While going through his many box office hits, Zemeckis confirmed that a sequel script for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” exists. However, one reason it’s unlikely to get made is because Jessica Rabbit is too hot for the current Disney regime.

“Here’s what you have to know: The current Disney would never make ‘Roger Rabbit’ today,” Zemeckis claimed. “They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it. The sequel script isn’t ever going to see the light of day as good as it is. I mean look what they did to Jessica at the theme park. They trussed her up in a trench coach.”

Directed by Zemeckis from a screenplay by...

Paul Newman had no desire to play paddy-cake for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.”

According to director Robert Zemeckis, the actor was approached to lead the cartoon live-action hybrid Disney film. The 1988 feature was a cartoon-ified take on the noir genre and centered on private detective Eddie Valiant, who was later played by Bob Hoskins. The film went on to win three Oscars for film editing, sound effects editing, and visual effects. Animator Richard Williams also received a Special Achievement Award from the Academy in 1989 for his animation direction.

Zemeckis said during Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that Newman was less than enthused to be considered for the lead role.

“I actually offered the Bob Hoskins role to Paul Newman and he was insulted,” Zemeckis said. “He said, ‘What? You want me to do a movie where I’m playing against a cartoon rabbit?’ He didn’t like it at all.

Robert Zemeckis is making the press rounds at the moment, promoting his new Tom Hanks/Robin Wright/More Dinosaurs Than You Were Probably Expecting movie Here. That press tour included a stop by the Happy Sad Confused podcast this week, where Zemeckis addressed one of the crown jewels of his...

Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis has said that Disney likely has no plans to make a sequel to his 1988 classic, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Produced by Steven Speilberg, the film is a ground-breaking mix of live-action and animation, and was a hit with critics and audiences alike. While a series of Roger Rabbit short cartoons were produced by Disney, no sequel was ever made, despite decades-long rumblings.

On an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast to promote his new film, Here, Zemeckis was asked about the long-rumored sequel to Roger Rabbit, and he admitted that there was a "good script" sitting at Disney. However, he stated that the current regime would not make a Roger Rabbit film, primarily due to the inclusion of the sultry Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner). He cited the change to the character in Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin ride at the Disneyland resort,...

Plot: The events and people who occupy a single spot of land are followed from pre-history to 2024.

Review: Robert Zemeckis is a director who’s always been well ahead of the industry regarding technical innovation. Many of his movies, including Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and, yes, even Forrest Gump, are classics. With Here, he once again tries to innovate, with a static shot of a single spot of land being followed from the dinosaur era to today. Most of the film revolves around the inhabitants of a colonial home built for the son of Benjamin Franklin. Eventually, it is occupied by many different families, with the most significant emphasis being placed on the Young Family.

It’s here that Zemeckis once again tries to innovate in terms of VFX. He uses AI-enhanced de-aging technology to depict about eighty years in the life of this family, with Paul Bettany,...

She’s not bad, she’s just drawn that way…and that’s the problem. Rare as it is that the ahooooga-level sexiness of a cartoon would get in the way of a movie’s production, but that’s the situation that a sequel to Who Framed Roger Rabbit finds itself in, forever stalled because Jessica Rabbit is just too damn fine for the screen.

Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, original Who Framed Roger Rabbit director Robert Zemeckis confirmed that a screenplay is ready to go, but the suits at the House of Mouse won’t touch it. “There’s a good script sitting at Disney, but here’s what you have to know, and you know this: the current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today…They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it. So the [Peter] Seaman and [Jeffrey] Price sequel script isn’t ever going...

Coulda shoulda woulda — when it comes to breakthrough ‘80s comedy Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, there’s a murderers’ row of comedians who might have taken on the lead role that eventually went to Bob Hoskins. Robin Williams, Wallace Shawn and Sylvester Stallone were reportedly considered to play beleaguered private dick Eddie Valiant, but two comedy superstars in particular wished they’d thought twice about taking the job: Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy.

According to director Robert Zemeckis on the film’s DVD commentary, he and producer Steven Spielberg had Murray at the very top of their list to play Eddie. There was only one problem — neither man knew how to get hold of the Ghostbusters star. That’s not surprising for those familiar with Murray legend. The comedian doesn’t employ an agent or manager; he instead uses an unlisted 800 number to collect his messages. Sometimes (like when Sofia Coppola...

Here is Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis' Forrest Gump reunion movie, but the film continues a very disappointing 20-year Rotten Tomatoes streak. Forrest Gump is considered to be one of the greatest movies of all time, with it being just one of several successful collaborations between Hanks and Zemeckis. While many were hoping that the quality of Forrest Gump would be recaptured in the duo's newest movie, Here has turned out to be a major disappointment.

Robert Zemeckis was once considered to be one of the greatest directors of all time, with him being behind classics like Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and the iconic Tom Hanks hit Forrest Gump. As time went on, however, Zemeckis' movies seemingly pivoted from being more concerned with technology than with story, with later features like The Polar Express and Welcome to Marwen putting spectacle over quality. Here seemed to be a return to form,...

Robert Zemeckis has always been a filmmaker who doubles as a magician. His films are loaded with neat little tricks, and, as is the case with any good magician, you find yourself wondering how he pulled them off. His debut "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" used clever editing, archival footage, and stand-ins to recreate the Beatles' debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. The "Back to the Future" trilogy is bursting with eye-popping special effects. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" seamlessly blended live-action and animation. "Death Becomes Her" is overloaded with gross-out gags. "Forrest Gump" found fun little ways to insert Tom Hanks into moments of televised American history. The list goes on and on. But at some point, the trickery began to overwhelm the process. His "Beowulf," "The Polar Express," and "A Christmas Carol" embraced heavy motion-capture animation with ghastly, uncanny valley results ("The Polar Express" has somehow become a recurring...

Timing is everything, horses for courses, styles make fights, and every movie, no matter how packed with potential on the page, is subject to the whims of fate. And here's a casting "what if" that, had it gone a different way, might've turned one of the most beloved movies of the 1990s into a colossal flop.

Let's take a trip back to late June 1988. The summer movie season is in full swing. After a pokey start thanks to Ron Howard's Memorial Day dud "Willow," the box office has picked up under the power of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Big," and "Coming to America." Moviegoers were gearing up for the July releases, which, with the likes of "Short Circuit 2," "Arthur 2: On the Rocks," and "License to Drive" on deck, did not look particularly promising.

And what to make of "Die Hard?" A big R-rated action movie ought to...

Here’s why Disney rejected Back To The Future (Photo Credit – Amazon Prime Video)

When Back to the Future hit theaters on July 3, 1985, it flipped Hollywood. Michael J. Fox went from TV star to mega-celebrity, while director Robert Zemeckis made waves. Despite getting rejected by Disney for being “too scandalous,” the film ended the year as a box office champ, leaving fans craving more time-travel adventures!

How Did Back to the Future Get Made?

Zemeckis and screenwriter Bob Gale first crossed paths at USC in 1971, forming a creative bond that would ultimately shake the cinematic landscape. They dabbled in TV and scored a brief break with the Misfire 1941, which was more a flop than a blockbuster. But they brushed off that bomb and charged ahead. After creating Used Cars in 1980 with Kurt Russell, they decided it was time to unleash a wild time-travel concept. They were riding high on their...

If there’s one topic in Hollywood right now that gets the most discussion, it’s probably the use of AI. And if there’s one film right now that is taking full advantage of it, it’s Robert Zemeckis’ Here. Now, ahead of the movie’s November 1st release, the first reactions are coming out of AFI Fest.

By and large, it seems like Robert Zemeckis pulled off an incredible feat with Here, which has the bonus gimmick of being shot from the same angle for the movie’s duration. Check out some of the reactions below:

#HereMovie Nice to see Tom Hanks & Robin Wright back on the screen together 30 years after #ForrestGump. The de-aging tech in the movie was pretty expressive. It's interesting to see the entire movie from one camera angle about decades stories in one house.For me the stories of… pic.twitter.com/8mp0KJAoKD...

In Hollywood, most movies tell stories. But not “Here.”

Adapted from a conceptual graphic novel by Richard McGuire where the perspective is the same on every page — the living room of a century-old American house — while rectangle-shaped panels within each frame reveal actions from different years, if not entirely separate epochs, “Here” is about an idea.

Have you ever sat in a place — maybe a hotel room, a park bench or a remote clearing — and wondered what happened there before? How many people have kissed on that exact spot? Or fought, or fallen in love? And what does that say about human experience, that people can be linked by common actions, and places can hold both memories and secrets?

There are deep thoughts to be found down such rabbit holes, and a film version of “Here” points in roughly the right direction, only to get distracted by a handful of far shallower threads — namely,...

Regular moviegoers — and even some Academy members — often believe that directing an animated feature means standing over an artist’s shoulder and simply saying, “Draw this.” But the six directors selected for Variety’s third annual Pixels and Pencils series at this year’s Scad Savannah Film Festival — Josh Cooley (“Transformers One”), Adam Elliot (“Memoir of a Snail”), Kelsey Mann (“Inside Out 2”), Morgan Neville (“Piece by Piece”), Chris Sanders (“The Wild Robot”) and Gints Zilbalodis (“Flow”) — want the industry to see animation directing on par with live-action work.

These auteurs reflect on their experiences shaping their films and their challenges in bringing animated stories to life.

Read: You can see all Academy Award predictions in all 23 categories on one page on the Variety Awards Circuit.

‘Transformers One’

Josh Cooley (“Transformers One”)

Cooley’s passion for the “Transformers” franchise is evident in his origin story, which explores the relationship between Autobots Optimus and Megatron.

Mere months after coming unnervingly close to killing off Conan O’Brien, Hot Ones just hosted another comedy icon of sorts: Peter Griffin. The popular YouTube show, which is predicated on the idea that celebrities will only abandon regurgitated talk show banter in favor of genuine human thought when their taste buds are being bombarded with brain-melting levels of spiciness, just crossed over with Family Guy in order to celebrate the cartoon’s 25th anniversary.

The Seth MacFarlane patriarch began the episode by claiming that he was happy to have been invited to the “decline of American journalism,” and the whole thing ultimately ended with a pantsless Peter Griffin attempting to shove his hot sauce-coated finger into host Sean Evans’ eyeball.

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This isn’t the first time that Evans hosted a literal cartoon character on his show, possibly because Hot Ones canonically takes place inside of the Who Framed Roger Rabbit universe.

Between modern thrillers, horror comedies, and Universal monster movies, Peacock is a perfect streamer for Spooky Season

With Halloween right around the corner, Peacock’s library this month is fuller than ever, jam-packed with excellent seasonal classics like “Nosferatu the Vampyre,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Halloween,” and many others. Complete with Peacock Originals and other films from Universal Pictures and Focus Features, there’s no shortage of great movies to spoil you on the streamer at the moment.

If you’re looking to add to your watch list and the best of what Peacock has to offer, here are my picks for the best seven movies currently available to stream!

Sign Up $7.99+ / month peacocktv.com Top 7 Movies Streaming on Peacock Right Now:

No. 7: ‘Death Becomes Her’

No. 6 ‘It Follows’

No. 5: ‘Dìdi’

No. 4 ‘Let the Right One In’

No. 3 ‘A Thousand and One’

No. 2 ‘Get Out’

No. 1 ‘Bride of Frankenstein’

No.