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Zemeckis Confirms He'll Make Roger Rabbit With Motion Capture

by Alex Billington
November 4, 2009
Source: MTV

I knew it! I promised we'd keep you updated on the Roger Rabbit remake/sequel/reboot front, so here you go. We learned earlier this week that Robert Zemeckis was bringing back the original writers to write the sequel. At the end of that article, I started putting a few pieces of the puzzle together and predicted that, while Zemeckis will keep the 2D characters 2D in this sequel, "that doesn't mean other parts won't be in 3D," meaning he might try and combine motion capture CGI and 2D characters for the new Roger Rabbit. Looks like I was exactly right, as MTV confirmed with Zemeckis today that that's what he's planning to do!

"All the other characters that [the cartoons] would sort of have fun with would be magnificent in performance capture technology," Zemeckis explained. "I wouldn't use it for the cartoon characters, because I think they should stay two-dimensional because that's what — I wouldn't dimensonalize Roger. And I couldn't dimensonalize Jessica even if I wanted to because she doesn't have a nose. We wouldn't want to give her a nose." Phew! At least we're safe knowing he won't mess with Roger Rabbit or Jessica Rabbit.

Is anyone else getting a bit frustrated by Zemeckis? I mean, he's a phenomenal filmmaker, but why can't he break out of this addiction to motion capture. I've even seen A Christmas Carol and it's not that great. The three CGI movies he's made are all entertaining to see once, but never again, as they're somewhat dull. I want Zemeckis to get back to form, making films like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump and Contact, that I can watch over and over again even today. That's what I want to see, not more motion capture CGI crap. Why, oh why, does he insist using mo-cap for everything? Now he's going to ruin Roger Rabbit, too!

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

harm

You know Zemeckis was at his best when he made What Lies Beneath and Cast Away in the same year. That is the man who could challenge any other director around to put up or shut up. What happened to that guy!?
Spider94

looks like Zemeckis fell in the rabbit hole xD
Dan

Zemeckis needs to get his butt over to New Zealand, and use the technology that James Cameron is using. The same technology Peter Jackson and Spielberg are using on Tintin.
frost

This makes me a whole lot less excited for this. The whole reason i liked Roger Rabbit was how it was LIVE ACTION and cartoons
angel

ya his mo cap looks ugly not a fan
troy

boycott. end of story, if no one goes to see the stuff it will fade and maybe Zemeckis will wake up and make real movies again.
Mark

Man, if he starts making Back to the Future: Part 4 in mo-cap, I think I'm gonna lose it.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

yeh he's killed himself with that mocap style...
xerxex

what the hell is he thinking? he as alienated the fans of who framed roger rabbit with this, way to go man. He is one of todays top directors, and he has ruined his chances of making a sequel to one of the best movies ever.
SlashBeast

Zemeckis needs to get off his motion capture fetish.
hale

Looks like we have another George Lucas on our hands. Let the ruining of all franchises begin!!!
Caitie

What the hell is with that stupid animation, he was such a fantastic director before. What happened? It's one thing to just do new stories with them, but to go back and ruin a perfectly good series (or soon to be series) with his little animation is just ridiculous. Yeah I say we boycott all of these so maybe he'll realize everyone's sick of it. But it's hard to tell parents to boycott kids movies, they don't realize how much one director is wasting his time on such nonsence. Am I being over dramatic anyone, be honest.
Mark

When are people going to stop calling mo-cap animation? It's insulting to animators.
Professor Brian O'Bilivion

...Can't wait for "Romancing the Stone" in 3D. This sequel just may end his career, kids don't know who Roger Rabbit is, and the die hard fans hopefully will avoid it. All I can hope for now is that it bombs and Zemeckis just gives up with the 3D motion capture business. Depressing news.
Last Son

Alex I'm with you on this one. Zemeckis was one of my fav director's. I remember when Cast Away came it. It was such a great film. It sucks that he has not made a live action feature since then. When The Polar Express came out I went and seen it because Zemeckis was trying something different, and God did it suck. I have said this before, but Zemeckis needs to leave animation to the guys over at Pixar.
MasterElwood

No nose? WRONG! Look at the movie! She HAS a nose !!!!!