Renowned director Chris Columbus recently dropped a bombshell. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly , Chris revealed that the theatrical version of the ’90s classic Mrs. Doubtfire starring Robin Williams, is only one of three film versions.
Chris confirmed that with all of Robin’s ad-libbing, there were enough completed scenes for a PG, PG-13, and most interestingly — an R-rated version of the film! You’ve all heard of #TheSnyderCut? Well then, get ready to bear witness to #TheWilliamsCut !
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For anyone who might need a refresher, let’s take a moment to revisit *Mrs. Doubtfire*.
Mrs. Doubtfire tells the story of a newly-divorced out of work actor who’s struggling to come to terms with his new familial arrangement. In order to spend more time with his children, he disguises himself as an elderly woman and applies to be his ex-wife’s housekeeper.
The film was a box office hit, raking in a whopping $219 million on a budget of just $25 million. Thus making Mrs. Doubtfire the second-highest-grossing film of the year in 1993, second to only Jurassic Park .
Recently, a viral tweet claimed that due to Robin’s incredible improvisational skills, there was more to *Mrs. Doubtfire* than just the theatrical cut.
The tweet itself references claims that director Chris Columbus previously made during a 2015 interview with Yahoo .
Chris said that he used multiple cameras at once in order to capture any and all improvisational magic that Robin would throw at him. He said that it was “like shooting a documentary ,” and that Robin was “without a doubt, the best actor I’ve worked with.”
What this means is that there are at least two other potential versions of the film we haven’t seen: a PG version as well as an R-rated cut!
Chris did later confirm in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that he was (mostly) kidding about the NC-17 version of the film, but that there most certainly was an R-cut.
“The reality is that there was a deal between Robin and myself, which was, he’ll do one or two, three scripted takes,” Columbus said to Entertainment Weekly .”And then he would say, ‘Then let me play.’
Actress Mara Wilson, who plays Robin’s daughter Natalie in the film, recalls the excitement of never knowing what Robin was about to say next:
“It’d be like, ‘OK, take 25!'” Mara said during a separate appearance on The Today Show . “And Robin would be different every time.”
While the idea of doing 25 completely unscripted takes might seem a little incredulous, Chris Columbus agrees and backs up Mara’s claim saying that on average Robin would want 15-22 takes for every scripted scene.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, the internet wants to know: will we ever see an R-rated version of *Mrs. Doubtfire*?
Chris seems non-committal after being asked this very question by Entertainment Weekly . And while he hesitates to commit to a full R-rated theatrical re-release, Chris did say that he’d be open to the idea of shooting a behind-the-scenes documentary.
This way, fans would be able to see a selection of classic moments from the film re-worked with an R-rating. “The problem is, I don’t recall most of it,” Columbus said. “I only know what’s in the movie at this point because it’s been a long time.”
That’s all well and fine, but it appears that a documentary may not be enough…
In the past week, social media has become ablaze with fans clamoring for Chris Columbus to release #TheWilliamsCut.
Many moviegoers are quick to reference director Zack Snyder’s re-release of Justice League as grounds for precedent and are urging Chris Columbus to head back to the cutting room floor.
Then there are those who seem less inclined to take his assertions at face value and are asking for Chris to pony-up and provide proof of life .
So how can fans of *Mrs. Doubtfire* help to ensure an R-rated re-release? It’s simple — by hashtagging #ReleaseTheWilliamsCut
Zack Snyder’s army showed the world how truly powerful a fandom can be. There’s power in numbers, and we’ve all heard the old adage about the squeaky wheel getting the grease.
If there’s any hope for an R-rated version of Mrs. Doubtfire , then we need to let Chris Columbus and Disney know just how badly we want it.
So take to your Twitter, your Facebook; your Instagram, and TikTok. It matters not which medium you choose, it matters only that you do your part to #ReleaseTheWilliamsCut.
