Roger Rabbit is the titular anthropomorphic rabbit of the film, a frantic over-anxious type who often stutters while screaming. The character first appeared in the book, Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf, which was adapted into the 1988 Academy-Award winning film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Mixing both live action and animation to create a believable “toon” universe, Disney studios set up an animation studio in Camden Town, London, whilst the live action was shot at Elstree film studios. Both the animation and live action were then composited by ILM fx studios in LA. In the book, Roger is a sidekick in a popular comic strip called “Baby Herman”, his murder is being investigated by a detective named Eddie Valiant and a slowly evaporating stunt doppelganger of himself that he created hours before being shot. In the film version, he is re-envisioned as a 1940’s character in animated cartoons and a resident of the fictional Los Angeles enclave, Toontown. He is framed for a murder and seeks out Valiant to help clear his name. In the film, the voice of Roger is performed by comedian Charles Fleischer, who was known for electing to wear an actual rabbit costume on the set to get into the role. One of his famous traits is his voice, “P-b-b-b-b-bleeeease!”. He is a white clownish rabbit with a gap between his front teeth, a voice that resonates of Huntz Hall in “The Bowery Boys”, a blue Porky Pig-like bowtie with yellow polka dots, a red-haired Bugs Bunny-like head with blue eyes, a pink nose and round-tipped ears, red Goofy-like pants with a green patch behind and yellow Mickey Mouse-like gloves.

Roger also starred in a comic book series from April 1990 to September 1991 and a spin-off series called Roger Rabbit’s Toontown, published from June to October 1991, which featured Roger in the first story and supporting characters like Jessica Rabbit (Roger’s voluptuous humanoid wife), Baby Herman (his co-star in Maroon Cartoons), Benny the Cab (Roger’s taxicab friend), and The Weasels (Roger’s enemies).

In a 1989 ABC special, Mickey Mouse is punished by a sorcerer for his conceited, “everybody loves me” attitude with a curse which results in no-one knowing who he is. Mickey must now wander the real world as an unknown, until he finally learns humility. After the curse is lifted, Roger Rabbit rediscovers Mickey, and is hailed as a hero.

Disney and Amblin Entertainment attempted to resurrect Roger for a sequel. However, a preliminary budget was deemed too large and the film never got past the script stage. Several 3D CGI tests and a 3D CGI rendering of Roger were completed, however, despite the fact that no actual footage was actually shot or completed. However, Frank Marshall, the producer of the first film, told MTV in late 2007 that he would be open to any plans to bring the Roger sequel back in the works.

Roger Rabbit was originally going to be the star of the animated series now known as Bonkers. However, because of copyright conflicts between Amblin and Disney, the show was forced to create original characters.

Jessica Rabbit is Roger’s human cartoon wife in the book and movie. In the book, she was an amoral, up-and-coming star and former comic character, over whom her estranged husband, comic strip star Roger Rabbit, obsessed. She is re-imagined in the film as a sultry, but moral, cartoon singer at a Los Angeles supper club called The Ink and Paint Club. Here, she is one of several suspects in the framing of her husband, who is a famous cartoon star. She is voiced by Kathleen Turner. Amy Irving was cast to sing Peggy Lee’s “Why Don’t You Do Right” for Jessica’s first scene in the movie.

Jessica was based on Veronica Lake, and even fashioned her famous “Peek-A-Boo” hairstyle. She is one of the most famous sex symbols on animated screen. She claims to Eddie Valiant, “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.” She deeply loves her husband Roger and the main reason is that he makes her laugh.

After the film, Jessica also appeared in the Roger Rabbit/Baby Herman shorts Tummy Trouble as a nurse, Roller Coaster Rabbit as a damsel in distress, and Trail Mix-Up as a park ranger. In Tummy Trouble and Roller Coaster Rabbit she made no impression, but in Trail Mix-Up Roger fantasizes over her, calling her a ‘babe in the woods’ and panting like a dog. She also appeared frequently in the Roger Rabbit comic book series, and she had her own feature in most issues of Roger Rabbit’s Toontown such as “Beauty Parlor Bedlam,” where she comes face to face with female weasel counterpart, Winnie.

With the success of the film and upon the opening of Disney’s MGM Studios on May 1, 1989, the film’s characters featured prominently in the company. After taking the Backlot Tram Tour, various props decorated the streets including two different photo opportunities with Jessica: a glittery cardboard cutout and “The Loony Bin” photo shop which allowed you to take pictures in costume standing next to an actual cartoon drawing of characters from the film. There was also a plethora of merchandise including Jessica Rabbit rub-on stickers called “pressers”.

Disagreements between the Disney Company, Amblin Entertainment and Gary Wolf (jointly owning rights to the characters) made it difficult for any merchandise or projects to get off the ground and caused the halt of the short film, Hare in My Soup, and the next film Who Discovered Roger Rabbit. In this prequel, Roger meets his bride-to-be, Jessica Krupnick. A completed score by Alan Silvestri is said to exist as well as test footage and computer generated versions of the characters. Also cancelled was an animated TV series, which was replaced by a show called Bonkers about a feline cop. Many park attractions never got out of development, such as Roger Rabbit’s Hollywood.

In 2000, Disney – MGM Studios stopped using any character memorabilia in the park, though some props are still present. These include a Maroon Cartoon billboard featuring Roger, Jessica, and Baby Herman across from the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show, Eddie Valiant’s office and a cut-out of Roger on the blinds of a neighboring window near the 50’s Prime Time Cafe, and the “ton o’ bricks” hanging near the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure.

The story begins with Shrek (Mike Myers) peaceably enjoying life within his home: a swamp. This is shattered when he inadvertently rescues the stubborn and talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy) from soldiers sent by the short Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Farquaad is obsessed with ruling a “perfect kingdom”, without any fairy tale creatures in it, and uses the Magic Mirror to select a princess bride to marry to become king. He chooses Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), who is held captive in a castle surrounded by lava and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.

Much to Shrek’s chagrin, Lord Farquaad has relocated all the fairy tale creatures to his swamp. Shrek and Donkey head off to the Kingdom of Duloc so they can complain to Farquaad and Shrek can get his swamp back. When Shrek and Donkey get to the Kingdom, they interrupt a tournament Farquaad is holding in order to select a knight worthy of rescuing Princess Fiona. Lord Farquaad then sends the knights to kill Shrek, but Shrek easily defeats them. Lord Farquaad proclaims Shrek the winner of the tournament and agrees to remove the fairy tale creatures from the swamp if Shrek rescues Fiona.

When they get to the castle Shrek and Donkey split up to search for Fiona. As Shrek, after putting on the helmet of a fallen knight finds the princess, Donkey runs into the fire-breathing dragon and begins to give compliments to her to stop her from killing him. Dragon takes these compliments seriously and she subsequently takes Donkey away to her chambers. After escaping, Fiona orders Shrek to remove his helmet so they can share true love’s first kiss. Shrek refuses her request at first, but then shows her his true face. Upon realizing that he is an ogre and not her true love, she angrily refuses to go with Shrek back to Duloc. Shrek takes Fiona by force instead, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. The three set off back to Duloc.

On their way through the woods, Fiona insists that they should stop and make camp as sunset comes. Fiona sleeps in a little rock cave while Shrek and Donkey talk under the stars, where Shrek reveals he is upset that people judge him as nothing but a monster without getting to know him.

The next night, Shrek and Fiona are about to kiss when Donkey reminds them of the sun setting. Surprised, Fiona rushes into the old windmill near which they are camping. Donkey now thinks that Shrek and Fiona are falling in love, but Shrek feels that he and Fiona could never be and storms off. Donkey enters the windmill, but finds an ogress instead of Fiona. He realizes that the ogress is Princess Fiona. She explains that she was cursed by an enchantment as a child by a witch: human by day, ogress by night, until she receives her true love’s first kiss and takes “love’s true form”. Donkey feels that Shrek and Fiona have a lot in common, and tells Fiona so. Meanwhile, Shrek comes up to the door of the windmill, ready to tell Fiona how he feels, but overhears only part of the conversation between Fiona and Donkey and thinks that Fiona is calling him a horrible monster, when she is in fact talking about herself. Shrek leaves, angry and heartbroken, without listening to the rest of the exchange: Fiona asks Donkey not to reveal the secret to anyone.

Before Shrek returns, Fiona decides that she will tell him about her feelings and her secret, confident that he will be understanding. The sun rises, turning Fiona into her human form. Shrek appears, but before Fiona can fully explain things to him, Shrek angrily tells her that he overheard her conversation with Donkey the night before. Fiona, not knowing that Shrek is under a false impression of her feelings from only hearing part of the conversation with Donkey, now assumes that Shrek is simply rejecting her because of her secret curse. This apparent hypocrisy and shallowness on Shrek’s park causes Fiona to become angry at him in return. Farquaad and his knights then arrive to pick up Fiona. Farquaad honors his arrangement with Shrek by relinquishing the deed to the swamp, then proposes marriage to Fiona. Still hurt and angry at Shrek, Fiona quickly accepts Farquaad’s offer. Farquaad takes Fiona back to Duloc and begins the preparations for the marriage, while Donkey rushes to Shrek, telling him to stop Farquaad from taking Fiona. Shrek refuses to listen and sets off for his swamp, leaving an upset Donkey behind him.

Shrek goes home to return to his normal life, even more miserable than before. Donkey returns to Shrek’s swamp to confront Shrek and tells him that Fiona was talking about somebody else rather than him. Shrek wants to end the wedding before it is too late, but worries he would not be able to make it in time. Donkey then whistles and Dragon appears offering to take them. Upon arriving, Shrek storms in and objects to the wedding. Shrek tells Fiona that Farquaad only wants to marry her so that he can be king and that he is not her true love. Farquaad realizes that Shrek has fallen in love with the princess. He and the rest of the citizens begin to laugh before he reminds Fiona that they are one kiss away from their happily ever after. The sun then sets, revealing Fiona’s ogre form. Farquaad, disgusted, orders his knights to kill Shrek and lock Fiona back in her tower. Shrek whistles and Dragon smashes through a stained glass window and swallows Farquaad. Shrek tells Fiona that he truly loves her and they share a kiss that turns Fiona into an ogress permanently. She is initially confused, as she was expecting to become beautiful, but Shrek assures her that she is beautiful.

It is Sony Pictures Animation’s second film, the first being Open Season on September 29, 2006. The American premiere occurred on June 8. It is directed by Ash Brannon (the co-director of Toy Story 2) and Chris Buck (the director of Tarzan). Pre-production for Surf’s Up began in 2002.

It is a parody of surfing documentaries, such as The Endless Summer and Riding Giants. Real-life surfers Kelly Slater and Rob Machado have vignettes as their penguin surfer counterparts.