With production gearing up, Focus Features has recently announced two cast members that will be joining its upcoming film, Lisa Frankenstein. Fresh off her success as Millie Kessler in Freaky, Kathryn Newton, who is currently set to appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, will star in the film alongside Cole Sprouse, widely known for his role in Riverdale.
In an allusion to the title of the film, the story will follow the Frankenstein formula and will center around a teenage girl who accidentally re-animates the corpse of a young man and rebuilds him to her liking, The premise of the film will draw inspiration from the original Frankenstein story written by Mary Shelley.
Lisa Frankenstein will be directed by Zelda Williams in her feature film directorial debut. The film will be written by Diablo Cody, who won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay for the critically acclaimed film, Juno. Cody will also produce the film alongside Mason Novick of MXN Entertainment. The duo previously collaborated on Juno alongside other films such as Tully and Jennifer's Body. Jeff Lampert will executive produce the film with Michelle Momplaisir attached as creative executive.
The themes and imagery of the original novel have remained strong in pop culture with several films and novels taking inspiration from the classic gothic tale. Some notable films in recent memory that follow the Frankenstein formula include the Tim Burton stop-motion animated film Frankenweenie (2012), which focused on a boy re-animating his dog, and Victor Frankenstein (2015) which saw Igor, Victor Frankenstein's lab assistant, get a more prominent role in the story.
Specific plot details for Lisa Frankenstein remain unknown, but with the new take on a classic story, the film could be an interesting addition to the original story's legacy. While no release date for the film has been set, principal photography will commence this summer as production is set to start soon. With two talented leads attached to the film alongside a unique premise with a critically acclaimed writer, Lisa Frankenstein could be an exciting film for audiences to look out for.
Check out the synopsis for the upcoming film by Focus Features below:
Set in 1989, an unpopular high schooler 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.