Diablo Cody (Juno, Jennifer’s Body) is set to return to the horror genre with Focus Features' upcoming Lisa Frankenstein, which is expected to put a unique spin on the classic Mary Shelley tale.
Written by Cody and directed by Zelda Williams, daughter of the late, great Robin Williams, the '80s-set horror comedy "follows an unpopular high schooler 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."
"The horror-romance portrays an unpopular high school student falling for a young man, who just happens to be a handsome Victorian corpse. After horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two lovers embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness and a few missing body parts along the way."
Kathryn Newton (Freaky, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) and Cole Sprouse (Riverdale) play the leads, and they'll be joined by Carla Gugino (Watchmen, Hill House), Liza Soberano (Alone/Together), Joe Chrest (Stranger Things) and Henry Eikenberry (The Crowded Room) in supporting roles.
"For anyone coming here to be like 'THIS is your first feature?!', it wasn't meant to be," Williams said on Twitter following the film's announcement. "I had three films fall apart before this, because movies often do. It was discouraging, to say the least, but the fact this one survived and THRIVED to be my first? A f***ing gift."
The first teaser (via FearHQ.com) has been released, and while it doesn't reveal very much, we do get to see Newton's titular scientist make her way over to a sunbed and open it up to reveal Sprouse's take on Frankenstein's Monster.
Lisa Frankenstein is produced by Cody Mason Novick, who have previously collaborated on projects such as Tully, Young Adult, Jennifer’s Body and Juno. Jeffrey Lampert executive produces.
Focus is distributing Lisa Frankenstein in the U.S., with Universal Pictures International handling distribution in the rest of the world.
We've seen quite a few takes on Frankenstein over the years - including comedic adaptations like Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein - but Cody has proven adept at delivering clever scripts with scares and laughs, so we're looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us here.
Lisa Frankenstein is set to hit theaters on February 9, 2024. Do you plan on seeing this one on the big screen? Drop us a comment down below.