This winter, Zelda Williams is putting her spin on the classic Frankenstein lore with the horror comedy, Lisa Frankenstein in what will be the actress’s directorial debut. An teaser trailer from Focus Features offered a brief glimpse at the story’s central couple: an exhumed corpse, played by Cole Sprouse and its creator, misunderstood teenager Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton). Now, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, we have a closer look at their characters. The newly released image captures Lisa in all her gothic glory wielding a fancy wand and expressing sheer admiration at her crush, who emerges from the depths dressed in a sharp suit, exuding an icy coolness.
The hilariously spooky romance dubbed by its makers as “a coming of RAGE love story” will unfold in a high school setting in 1989, centering on Lisa who is having a hard time landing the perfect guy for prom. Lisa does have one name on her list, but he’s dead. However, through a series of whimsically macabre events, Lisa manages to reanimate her chosen suitor and proceeds gradually shaping the undead into her dream man. When the experiment is complete, Lisa will set out to flaunt her creation to the entire school, but their romantic journey won’t be without consequences as the dangerous couple will leave a curious trail of “a few missing body parts” in their wake.
The Team Behind ‘Lisa Frankenstein’
While the base plot sounds like a mere re-creation of an old premise that’s becoming commonplace in Hollywood, director Williams is confident that her creation, which she describes as a “bonkers, wonderful zombie film,” will draw many admirers. Given the solid team she assembled for the film, Williams’ optimism becomes understandable. Notably, the screenplay for Lisa Frankenstein was penned by Academy Award winner Diablo Cody known for works such as Juno and Jennifer’s Body.
Cody co-produces alongside frequent collaborator, Mason Novick. On-screen, the cast is fleshed out by genre staples like Carla Gugino known for The Haunting of Hill House, and Netflix’s recently released gothic series, The Fall of the House of Usher along with Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, and Joe Chrest.
Lisa Frankenstein will be released in theaters on Feb. 9, 2024, just in time for Valentine’s Day. There’s enough time to prep your date!
