Younger generations who are primarily familiar with CGI animation are bigger victims than those who witnessed the art form of hand-drawn images give way to technically brilliant but generally heartless computer-crafted beings. Nobody ever said a Chuck Jones character suffered from “dead-eyes syndrome.” Now one of the greatest achievements in mixing live-action and animation will get a theatrical makeover for a special screening.
Deadline reports Who Framed Roger Rabbit has been completely digitally restored for a 25th anniversary celebration to be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Walt Disney Studios, the company that was virtually reinvented by a large audience’s adoration for Roger Rabbit’s technical wizardry, provided the digital transfer, created from the original 35mm print, the VistaVision optical work, and the original sound tracks. To be held on April 4 at Beverly Hills’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater, the screening comes less than a month after Roger Rabbit gets released in Eddie Valiant-approved high definition on Blu-ray for the first time. 2013 is the year for Roger Rabbit!
“‘Roger Rabbit’ brought together the greatest animators, the most skilled technicians, and the finest talent of the day,” said the film’s visionary director Robert Zemeckis, the man responsible for the current age of “dead eyed” character. “It’s good to have this chance to show our work to both those who remember the film as well as to a new audience.”
A post-screening on-stage discussion will be hosted by Academy Award nominee Rich Moore (Wreck-it Ralph). The panel will include Zemeckis, screenwriter Peter S. Seaman, actress Joanna Cassidy, voice actor Charles Fleischer, supervising animator Andreas Deja, and associate producers Don Hahn and Steve Starkey.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit won the Oscars for Film Editing, Sound Effects Editing, and Visual Effects, and was nominated for Art Direction, Cinematography and Sound. It also won the Special Achievement Award for Richard William’s animation direction.
