Horror-comedy Lisa Frankenstein wasn’t exactly a hit at the box office last year, scaring up just $9.7 million, but the film’s fanbase has been growing in the wake of its short-lived theatrical run. Slash Film’s BJ Colangelo recently dove deep into the film’s cult classic appeal, suggesting it’s the kind of movie that fans may continue falling in love with going forward.
Directed by Zelda Williams and written by Diablo Cody (Jennifer’s Body), Lisa Frankenstein is PG-13, making it accessible to all audiences. But did you know it could’ve been rated R?
Diablo Cody told Cinema Blend last year, “There were extensive conversations on this topic actually and I’m ultimately very glad that it’s PG-13 because I don’t think we sacrificed any of the core components of the movie. And now a lot more people are gonna be able to see it, especially young people.”
Williams explained, “On the page it definitely was a very tricky needle to thread, particularly because these violent deaths are so integral to the movie. And I was like, oh no. Now they, wait, hold on. How do I fix this? Thankfully in this circumstance I was a bit prepared in advance for that outcome. I have friends and peers that have walked me through that. That is a sometimes expected thing. So we had enough wiggle room that I could still keep it tonally very much the movie we set out to make, but removed some of the stuff that would’ve made it, and it was tricky and it took a while, but we figured it out, and now it is PG-13.”
Taking to Instagram earlier this month, Zelda Williams ignited the hopes of Lisa Frankenstein fans who are begging to see some of that “unrated” material inserted back into the movie.
Williams wrote in an IG story, “Endlessly thankful to all the Lisa Frankenfamily out there. It’s been lovely to meet you, to see your tattoos and paintings and to hear your stories about what our weird, wacky movie means to you. Please know it means the world to me! And who knows, maybe one day we will even be able to resurrect an unrated version for you all.”
“A gal can dream, right?” Williams added at the tail end of her message to fans.
If you want it, make sure to demand it! And we’ll keep you posted if we hear more.
Set in 1989, Lisa Frankenstein follows an unpopular high schooler (Kathryn Newton) who accidentally re-animates a handsome Victorian corpse during a lightning storm and starts to rebuild him into the man of her dreams using the broken tanning bed in her garage.
lisa frankenstein unrated version coming? 👀 pic.twitter.com/dP0nvHhf0l
— bella (@johnnyslawrence) May 6, 2025