In a serendipitous turn of events, Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Zelda Williams joined forces to create Lisa Frankenstein, marking Williams' feature-length directorial debut. The collaboration came about through a personal connection – Cody's boyfriend happened to know Williams and believed she would be perfect for the film. With a background in TV, music videos, and shorts, Williams had been honing her filmmaking skills since 2016, making her the ideal choice to bring Cody's outlandish rom-com script to life.
Set in the year 1989, Lisa Frankenstein follows the story of Lisa Swallows, played by Kathryn Newton, a grieving teenager who finds solace in a creepy cemetery. After making a graveyard wish, she unexpectedly reanimates a handsome young man from the Victorian era known as 'the Creature' (Cole Sprouse). As Lisa and the Creature forge an unconventional friendship, they navigate their shared struggles, with Lisa looking for companionship after the murder of her mother and the Creature relying on Lisa to upgrade his lifeless body.
What sealed the deal for Cody in choosing Williams as the director was her pitch for the film's twisted and hilarious climax. The scene involves a group of characters confronting each other in a bedroom, resulting in flying bodily appendages courtesy of a hatchet. Williams' vision for this scene impressed Cody, and she knew Williams was ready to handle the film's unique demands.
Originally shot to be R-rated, the scene had to be toned down to secure a PG-13 rating. Williams revealed that within the R-rated version, a large and beautifully crafted prosthetic ended up on the cutting room floor. Nevertheless, the scene retains its impact, much to Williams' satisfaction. Cody commended Focus Features for taking a chance on the scene, acknowledging that it might have deterred potential buyers and actors when she initially wrote the script.
Lisa Frankenstein enters the landscape of Frankenstein adaptations alongside other recent projects by notable filmmakers such as Guillermo Del Toro and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Cody believes that the resurgence of interest in the Frankenstein tale is influenced by a collective creative consciousness that often sees certain themes or ideas become popular without deliberate orchestration.
Williams added that people have an affinity for monsters and that the resurgence of projects involving creatures and beasts is long overdue. Lisa Frankenstein offers a unique twist on the Frankenstein lore, focusing more on magic than science. Instead of a mad scientist, the film explores the perils of women and wishful thinking, breathing fresh life into the timeless source material.
Attention to detail became crucial in recreating the '80s era within the film. Cody was meticulous in ensuring that the language and dialogue reflected the period accurately. Having lived through that time, Cody wanted the characters to speak in a manner that reflected how people actually spoke in the '80s. Williams confirmed that Cody's attention to detail extended beyond language, and she was determined to capture the mannerisms and vocal style of the time.
One unique aspect of Lisa Frankenstein is the dynamic between Lisa and the mostly silent Creature. Cody attributes the success of those scenes to Williams, who worked closely with Cole Sprouse to develop the nonverbal performance. Williams drew inspiration from silent film legends like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin and even sent Sprouse to mime school to help him master physicality and active listening.
The film also boasts a scene that is both outrageously funny and twisted, without giving too much away
