After flopping at the box office, Lisa Frankenstein director offers hope that the cult movie will be re-animated with a new R-rated cut

Lisa Frankenstein helmed by director Zelda Williams has rekindled aspirations among devotees of the cult horror flick that an unrated edition of the officially PG-13 film might debut in the future. Despite its lackluster performance at the box office, the movie has still managed to cultivate a fanbase through streaming platforms.

“I’m endlessly grateful to the entire Lisa Frankenfamily out there. It’s been wonderful meeting you, witnessing your tattoos and artwork, and hearing your accounts of what our quirky, eccentric film signifies to you,” Williams mentioned in an Instagram story, captured by user ‘Bella’. “Please understand it means everything to me! And who knows, perhaps one day we can bring forth an unrated version for everyone. A girl can dream, right?”

The possibility of an R-rated version of Lisa Frankenstein (or at minimum, the content to develop such a version) has been a subject of conversation since early 2024, when director Williams and writer Diablo Cody broached the topic with CinemaBlend just after the film’s initial debut.

“On paper, it certainly posed a challenging dilemma, especially since these violent deaths are so key to the narrative. I was thinking, oh no. Now they, wait, hold on. How do I resolve this? Luckily, I was somewhat prepared for that possibility. I have friends and colleagues who guided me through it,” Williams elaborated. “That’s sometimes an expected scenario. So we had sufficient flexibility to maintain the tone of the film we intended to create, while cutting some elements that could’ve changed everything. It was challenging and time-consuming, but we managed to sort it out, and it’s now PG-13.”

“There were significant discussions about this issue, and ultimately, I’m very pleased it’s PG-13 because I don’t believe we compromised any of the essential aspects of the film,” added Cody. “Now, a much larger audience will have the opportunity to experience it, especially younger viewers.”

Lisa Franken