The making of Who framed Roger Rabbit was a special time for many of the people who worked on it. Many of them were young and this was the first opportunity to work on a big ‘Hollywood’ production. In many cases, it turned out to be the biggest production they ever worked on… and in most cases, the most consequential. More than that, many found a camaraderie in the crew that is often missing in big productions. When Dave Spafford returned to Los Angeles, he transformed his home to host a ‘pub night’ on Fridays, which kept people connected for quite a long time.
Many, more recent, reunions have been associated with milestone anniversary celebrations.
Some of the reunions and celebrations have been informal and some have been associated with special screenings of the film. In April 2013, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosted a 25th anniversary celebration of the film with a screening of the brand-new digital print made for Blu-ray release. It attracted an on-stage panel discussion and many people who were involved in the production. Another Who framed Roger Rabbit panel was held at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con.
The 30th anniversary was celebrated with a charity screening at the Los Angeles Theatre in downtown Los Angeles in June 2018. Again, many people who worked on the film were able to attend. Another screening, and another panel, was held at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood in August 2018. Other 30th anniversary screenings were held in the Boston area and elsewhere.
In the U.K. there have been anniversary celebrations that have coincided with honors given to Richard Williams. The British rarely need a milestone anniversary to have a reunion and celebration. The London animation community is tight-knit, so there are more regular get-togethers… often with a beer in hand.
