Warners clearly wants to be in the Todd Strauss-Schulson business and you can't blame them after his debut feature, A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, made them a decent amount of green. And after the third installment in the stoner comedy proved to be another weed smoking success, the studio quickly offered Strauss-Schulson the action comedy Family Getaway. Now Warner Bros. is turning to the young filmmaker again for their recently acquired Rascal Raccoon’s Raging Revenge.
THR reports that the studio wants Strauss-Schulson to direct Matt Fogel's adaptation of the Oni Press graphic novel from author Brendan Hay and artist Justin Wagner. The comic is set in a place called Toonie Terrace, where the Toonies and the Meanies constantly engage in all forms of animated shenanigans, especially since the latter are really intent on killing the former (as is oddly the case in most cartoons). However, no Meanie has ever successfully offed a Toonie until Rascal Raccoon manages to murder his nemesis Jumpin’ Jackalope. Initially thrilled, the Meanie soon finds himself bored, despondent and in search of a new enemy so he decides to target the animator who created him. Watch out fourth wall!
Maybe it's just me but I can't help but think of Roger Rabbit and Megamind as well as Charles M. Jones' famous shorts Rabbit Rampage and Duck Amuck. I suppose there are worse things of which one can be reminded. Fogel's only credit is Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, the third installment of the Martin Lawrence franchise, so I wouldn't get too excited just yet, even if the premise seems pretty interesting enough and offers Strauss-Schulson a chance to play in the Roger Rabbit sounding world. H&K Christmas's claymation sequence probably didn't hurt Strauss-Schulson secure the offer for RRRR since it's intended to be a mix of live action and CGI. For a look at one of his most recent shorts, I recommend watching this clever little comedy called The Master Cleanse.
