The director spoke with PEOPLE about working on the film at its Los Angeles premiere on Monday
In an exclusive interview with People, actress Zelda Williams spoke about her experience directing her first feature film, “Lisa Frankenstein,” which premiered in Los Angeles on February 5th, 2024.
peaking with PEOPLE at the Lisa Frankenstein premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, Zelda, 34, reveals that it was “really daunting” directing a script by writer and film producer Diablo Cody.
“I think that was the thing that scared me most is, as far as tone goes,” Zelda tells PEOPLE. “Starting with a campy comedy can be really daunting. But I’m very grateful. We had such a good time.”
She also explains that it was the “universe” that decided Lisa Frankenstein would be her directorial debut.
“The pandemic happened, and other movies I was set to do just didn’t survive,” Zelda says. “Weirdly, this was the strange little train that did, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Meanwhile, Zelda reveals that the movie could be the perfect activity for Galentine’s Day.
Key points from the interview:
- Daunting experience: Williams described the directing process as “really daunting,” particularly due to the campy comedic tone of the script by Diablo Cody.
- Overcoming challenges: Despite the initial apprehension, Williams expressed gratitude for the opportunity and the support she received throughout the production.
- Pandemic impact: The pandemic initially disrupted filming schedules, but ultimately allowed “Lisa Frankenstein” to proceed while other projects were shelved.
- Galentine’s Day connection: Williams sees the film’s themes of female friendship and empowerment as fitting for a Galentine’s Day celebration.
Additional details:
- “Lisa Frankenstein” is a teen comedy based on a graphic novel by Dean Craig.
- The film stars Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and Liza Soberano.
- Williams has previously acted in films and television shows like “House M.D.” and “Teen Wolf.”
- This is her first venture into directing.
Cody, who wrote Lisa Frankenstein, told PEOPLE in a recent interview that “Zelda is a really captivating person because she is so intelligent, she’s so literate in film and she’s so direct and confident in a way that directors need to be. And I could see that in her.”
She added, “The very first time we met, I thought to myself, ‘I can’t believe this person has never directed a feature before, because I feel like I’m meeting someone who’s 10 films in.’ It was that confidence that drew me to her and also just that she had such an innate understanding of the source material.”
Cody made it clear that “With [Zelda], it was just the vibe was immaculate from our first meeting. And so I said, ‘Let’s do this.’ And I’m so glad that I did.”
Lisa Frankenstein, set in 1989, depicts a high schooler (Newton) who revives an unexpectedly attractive Victorian corpse (Sprouse) during a storm and shapes him into her perfect man. Written by Diablo Cody, the screenwriter of the cult classic Jennifer’s Body, the movie will also feature Liza Soberano, Henry Eikenberry, Joe Chrest and Carla Gugino.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Zelda revealed her fascination from a young age with her late father Robin Williams’ prolific acting career. Behind the scenes of the 1999 sci-fi Bicentennial Man, in which Robin played the role of Andrew Martin, Zelda recalled, “That was when I was old enough to really understand that there was a whole bunch of jobs you could also do.”
She has followed Robin’s footsteps into the entertainment industry, appearing as a lead in the Freeform horror series Dead of Summer and voice acting in shows like The Legend of Korra.