There have been many twists on the story of Frankenstein, but the upcoming horror/comedy Lisa Frankenstein will take be taking the legend back to school -- high school, that is. The film -- which will star Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse of Riverdale -- will tell the story of an unpopular girl who accidentally brings a Victorian corpse back to life and uses a broken tanning bed to turn him into the man of her dreams.
The film will mark the feature-length directorial debut of Zelda Williams -- daughter of the late Robin Williams -- and the return to horror/comedy for screenwriter Diablo Cody, who wrote Jennifer's Body. Films like Lisa Frankenstein can be a gamble for studios that either lead to a surprise box-office success or failure. However, one thing seems quite certain: with the creative team involved and its whacked-out premise, Lisa Frankenstein is likely a horror cult classic in the making.
Lisa Frankenstein May Be a Jennifer's Body-Style Treat
Although Jennifer's Body is a cult classic today, the film was not so well received in 2009. In fact, the movie only made a small profit and did not connect with its intended audience, which has even been attributed to the film's marketing campaign. However, with Cody and Williams' involvement, audiences can likely expect Lisa Frankenstein to be a spiritual successor to the film, with plenty of feminist themes and gore -- which Jennifer's Body had in abundance.
Lisa Frankenstein's casting also seems very much in alignment with Jennifer's Body. The 2009 film had two up-and-coming actors as its leads, and Lisa Frankenstein has that with Sprouse and Newton, the latter of whom recently showed her skill in both horror and comedy in 2020's Freaky. The film also recently cast veteran actor Carla Gugino, who has shown her range in genre projects such as Gerald's Game, Watchmen, and Sin City.
This New Frankenstein Sounds Hilarious, Too
Lisa Frankenstein also sounds like it will venture into satirical territory as well. Its title not only evokes Mel Brooks' classic spoof Young Frankenstein, but it also is clearly a play on the name of Lisa Frank, the producer of bright, multicolored designs for school supplies and other products for children. Whether Lisa Frankenstein will evoke that aesthetic for the movie remains to be seen -- but it would likely be an inspired and humorous choice for a Frankenstein movie.
The film also is set in 1989, which gives Cody and Williams the perfect opportunity to pay homage to the horror and teen films of that era. The plot of Lisa Frankenstein even sounds like a feminist spin on the 1985 film Weird Science, which came from teen film legend John Hughes. In the movie, two teenage boys used a computer to create their dream woman. However, not all the content of Weird Science has aged well, so hopefully, Lisa Frankenstein can do it better.
Although Jennifer's Body had to travel a long, rocky road to become a cult classic, Lisa Frankenstein may not have to undergo such hardships. If marketed right, the film could connect with its audience, be a box-office hit, and continue to live on with fans who cherish it, much like they now treasure Cody's previous horror effort.