Lisa Frankenstein and Jennifer’s Body are part of the same horror universe apparently

Who would have guessed 2024 would be the year of Jennifer’s Body updates? Last week, writer/producer Diablo Cody spilled that she can’t wait to make a sequel to the campy horror comedy. Now, in addition to even more reboot comments, she’s revealed that her latest film, Lisa Frankenstein, takes place in the same universe.

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Diablo Cody is dead set on a ‘Jennifer’s Body’ sequel—there’s just one thing in her way

“I am not done with ‘Jennifer’s Body’.”

The two films share much besides the macabre in common—both about heroines who are not afraid to break taboos and get their hands bloody. Set in the 80s, Lisa Frankenstein follows the titular teen goth (Kathryn Newton) who resurrects a corpse (Cole Sprouse) and hatches a plan to steal body parts in order to turn him into her dream boy. The more contemporary Jennifer’s Body follows it-girl Jennifer (Megan Fox) who returns from the dead as a succubus, feeding on the local boys to maintain her body.

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It turns out these similarities are much more than thematic—there’s an official link between the two. While on the red carpet for the Lisa Frankenstein premiere, Cody told Deadline, “I am just declaring that this movie takes place in the same universe,” she said. “I have decided that.”

Before we get our hopes up for a Megan Fox cameo in Lisa Frankenstein, a shared universe doesn’t mean their stories are overlapping just yet. “I will not say that you’d see any overt references to that but I’m saying it,” Cody added.

Maybe that’s for the best. From the sound of things, Cody would much rather make a full-on sequel to Jennifer’s Body than settle for token references in her new film. And a sequel would be much more satisfying for queer fans. While Lisa Frankenstien is focused on a hetero (necro-hetero, that is) relationship, Jennifer’s Body is overtly queer. 

“I’ve been trying for the last couple years to get this going, so I’m hoping that the fact that a lot of people have been asking me about this week might be the final push that I need to actually make it happen,” she said. “It’s hard to get things made these days.”

At least, Lisa Frankenstein is bringing Jennifer’s Body back to the public consciousness by the sheer similarity in genre and tone. The return to horror (after the initial poor reception to Jennifer’s Body) has gotten the wheels turning in Cody’s head as well.

“I was nervous to get back into [the genre],” Cody said. “And then this magical thing happened the last few years where [Jennifer’s Body] found an audience and people began to really appreciate it. And it gave me the confidence to say, ‘You know what? I never lost my passion for that world and I want to do another one.’ So, I’m here.”

Lisa Frankenstein hits theaters on February 9.

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