Background: With a worldwide gross of nearly $330 million, a sequel to Disney's animated/live-action blockbuster "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" seemed inevitable. And plans for a follow-up were indeed put into motion, with writer Nat Mauldin ("Dr. Dolittle," "Open Season") penning a prequel titled "Roger Rabbit: Toon Platoon" that would've seen Roger and a human companion named Richie traveling to Nazi Germany to rescue a kidnapped Jessica. Later renamed "Who Discovered Roger Rabbit," the project fell apart when producer Steven Spielberg took a disliking to Mauldin's script and moved his focus to other films. A second attempt in the late '90s gained more traction, with screenwriters Deanna Oliver and Sherri Stoner throwing out Mauldin's WWII storyline completely and instead hinging the plot on young Roger's inadvertent ascent to stage and screen stardom. With Disney on board, test footage was shot and composer Alan Menken even wrote five songs for the film, leaving little doubt that the sequel would finally become a reality. Until, that is, then-Disney head Michael Eisner blanched at the film's proposed $100 million budget and scrapped the project completely.

Current status: Talk surrounding the follow-up has heated up over the last several years, with original writers Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman penning a script, Robert Zemeckis confirming his interest as director and even Bob Hoskins signing on to reprise his role as grouchy P.I. Eddie Valant. Of course, audiences have heard this song and dance before, so it's probably best to keep your expectations low.

- Chris Eggertsen