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Gary K. Wolf now has full ownership rights to his beloved characters, including Roger Rabbit. Roger Rabbit Ownership In an exclusive interview with ImNotBad.com, Wolf revealed that ownership of Roger Rabbit and other beloved characters has successfully transferred back to his own hands. According to the article, the 35-Year Copyright Reversion Clause made this possible. The clause allows creators to reclaim rights to their properties after a period of 35 years. The discovery was made while working on a 12-episode television mystery series, set in a version of Toontown. Wolf states, 35 years after you have sold the rights to a book or [song], you could petition the Library of Congress and get those rights back. [An attorney] said to me, ‘You could get your rights back from Disney.’ I said, “There’s no way that’s possible. Expecting a “contentious process,” Wolf was surprised with a “very civil, very courteous, very straightforward” process, stating that: Disney was always top-notch for me. They treated me very well. They always accommodated me in whatever I wanted to do. This transfer of ownership occurred around a year ago and allows Wolf the creative license to expand upon the Roger Rabbit universe however he sees fit. However, he notes that quality must remain: Any sequels that we do have to at least match the quality of the original [1988] movie. In production value, in tone, in script content, in empathy, in character development. It has to be as good, or better than, what we did before. That’s what the fans want, and I have promised the fans that’s what I’m going to give them. Wolf and his team have been busy putting together stories and elements to make that happen, including those based on his novels. One such idea would center around Jessica Rabbit, allowing Wolf to “flesh out his world and take things in various directions.” Despite hesitancies and censorship of the character, “Jessica Rabbit’s return to Wolf offers a chance to finally realize what could have been.” Wolf adds that he would love to work with Disney again: I would love to work with Disney again. I’d love for Disney to participate in this. We could partner up on this. There’s a core group of people who were involved with the first movie, and I would love to work with those people again. Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy. I’d love to have Charles Fleischer come back and voice the rabbit again. The process is going to take time, but Wolf remains committed to expanding on the world of Roger Rabbit, while honoring the legacy of what Disney created. Wolf looks forward to a new beginning for Toontown and giving the fans what they have wanted for the last 35 years. You can watch the full interview below: All of this comes just a year after Robert Zemeckis, the director of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, said a sequel to the film would never happen. “The current Disney would never make Roger Rabbit today,” he said. “They can’t make a movie with Jessica in it. I mean, look what they did to Jessica at the theme park. They trussed her up in a trench coat, you know.” Zemeckis is referring to the cultural sensitivity update of Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin at Disneyland, which turned Jessica Rabbit into a detective. Who Framed Roger Rabbit was released in 1988. Based on Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf, it was produced by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures in collaboration with Amblin Entertainment and combined live-action footage with animated characters. Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin was inspired by the Academy Award-winning film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg, the film successfully created the illusion that animated characters were interacting in the “real” world with people, thanks to the state-of-the-art technology of the time. Guests catch a ride in a taxi and follow Roger Rabbit and Benny the Cab as they try to help Jessica Rabbit put a stop to the diabolical plans of the villainous Weasels. But beware—the Weasels are pouring slippery toon-melting Dip in the paths of passing vehicles—including yours! Watch our full ride POV below: What do you hope comes from this ownership swap? Let us know in the comments and on social media. For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
