Director Chris Columbus revealed on Friday that a version of the beloved comedy from 1993, Mrs. Doubtfire ”exists – although there is no NC-17 cut of the film.
The confirmation first comes from Entertainment weekly following a viral tweet noting that Robin Williams, who played the eponymous Euphegenia Doubtfire, improvised so much that there were PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 tracks from the film. The official movie is PG-13.
During the filming of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire ‘(1993) Robin Williams improvises so much that there were PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 cuts from the film pic.twitter.com/vjYUCmyrj2
– Filmfeite 🎬 (@factsonfiIm) 18 March 2021
Columbus explained that the numerous tracks came because of Williams asking to have me play after doing some screenplays. He would then take for 15 to 22 with his own improvised lines.
“He would sometimes go to an area that would not be suitable for a PG-13 film, but definitely suitable and hilarious for an R-rated film,” Columbus told Entertainment Weekly.
Except that there is not actually an NC-17 version, it is unlikely that a full R version of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire ”will ever be available. But that doesn’t mean audiences might not get Williams ’comic genius anymore.
“I would be open to maybe doing a documentary about making the film and enabling people to see certain scenes that were rendered in an R version,” Columbus said.
HBO released an extensive documentary about the actor in 2018, a few years after his death in August 2014. Unlike the film portrait of ‘Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind’, Columbus’ possible documentary would include the meaning of a single role . Columbus said it could include interviews with him, editor Raja Gosnell and producer Marsha Garces Williams.
“I think that would be the best approach. I am very proud of this film, ”he said.