Kathryn Newton’s $13M Horror Box Office Bomb Is The Closest We’ve Come To An Edward Scissorhands Remake In 34 Years

Summary Despite a box office flop, Lisa Frankenstein is possibly the closest thing to an Edward Scissorhands remake in 34 years.

Kathryn Newton's role in this comedy horror film has received mixed reviews, falling short of expectations.

Lisa Frankenstein's release sets the stage for Tim Burton's return with Beetlejuice 2, despite its box office failure.

Despite Kathryn Newton’s $13 million budget comedy horror movie Lisa Frankenstein bombing at the box office, it is quite possibly the closest thing to an Edward Scissorhands remake in 34 years. Kathryn Newton has steadily risen in the ranks of Hollywood over the years, ever since her award-winning role in Gary Unmarried at 11 years old. Starring in notable productions such as Paranormal Activity 4, Supernatural, and Freaky, Newton is no stranger to the horror genre. However, Kathryn Newton’s recent role in the 2024 comedy horror, has become notable in a bad way due to Lisa Frankenstein's box office bomb.

Zelda Williams’s directorial debut, Lisa Frankenstein, only earned $9.9 million at the box office, which is considerably less than its budget, making it a box office flop. The 80s style retelling of Frankenstein follows high school goth, Lisa, as she accidentally resurrects a Victorian corpse, known as The Creature, and decides to literally rebuild him into the perfect man. Receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film currently sits at 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is surprising considering Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse headline Lisa Frankenstein’s cast.

Related Lisa Frankenstein Soundtrack Guide: Every Song & When They Play In The Movie Lisa Frankenstein is filled with 80s classics. We break down every song that is in the horror romance and exactly when it plays during the movie.

Lisa Frankenstein Shares Several Similarities With Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands

A Romance Is Central To Their Plots

While Lisa Frankenstein is not an actual remake of Edward Scissorhands, the two movies share some similarities. Both movies include a central romance plot in which the boy’s otherness affects his relationship with the human girl he likes. The main difference between the two films is the perspectives, as Lisa Frankenstein tells the story from the girl’s point of view rather than the boy’s perspective seen in Edward Scissorhands. Furthermore, as one of Tim Burton's lowest-grossing movies, Edward Scissorhands earned $86 million at the box office, which is still more than Lisa Frankenstein, making it a much more successful film.

Both movies include a central romance plot in which the boy’s otherness affects his relationship with the human girl he likes.

As one of Tim Burton’s most thought-provoking films, Edward Scissorhands addresses many different themes, but there is one in particular that stands out. Some of Tim Burton’s best movies often feature a complicated love story, but Edward Scissorhands is arguably the most tragic tale of doomed love in his filmography, with Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder’s performances making it such a beautiful film. Zelda William’s movie seemed to follow suit, mirroring Burton’s theme of doomed love, up until Lisa Frankenstein’s ending, where the film subverts the tragedy by reincarnating Lisa in order for her to reunite with the Creature.

Lisa Frankenstein’s Tim Burton Elements Make Beetlejuice 2 More Exciting

2024 Marks Return Of Tim Burton Horror Movies

Image via Universal Pictures

The release of Lisa Frankenstein makes Beetlejuice Beetlejuice more exciting because Lisa Frankenstein showcased a horror film that follows Tim Burton's style for the first time in over a decade. The last Tim Burton horror movie was an animated film released in 2012, titled Frankenweenie, which followed a dog that returns from the dead called Sparky. Therefore, it is rather apt that the closest Tim Burton-style movie since Frankenweenie’s release is another Frankenstein story. With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releasing in September 2024, Lisa Frankenstein sets up the perfect reintroduction of Tim Burton to the horror genre, despite its box office flop.