Did you know that Robin Williams improvised so much on the set of Mrs. Doubtfire that there were various mature cuts of the film, going all the way up to NC-17? That’s the unlikely movie fact that the internet has been grappling with today.
Yes, the surprising trivia tidbit went viral this Friday following the @FactsOnFilm Twitter account sharing it online, as you can see below:
While filming 'Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993), Robin Williams improvised so much that there were PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 cuts of the film pic.twitter.com/vjYUCmyrj2
— Film Facts 🎬 (@Factsonfilm) March 18, 2021
But you can’t just tell people that these alternate cuts exist, especially one day after the Snyder Cut of Justice League finally came out, and not expect them to start demanding to see them. Indeed, Twitter is now full of lovers of the 1993 classic campaigning for Disney – who owns the 20th Century Fox movie – to release the NC-17 version of Mrs. Doubtfire.
We the people demand the release of Mrs Doubtfire NC-17 cut https://t.co/DpCLN6Hs74
— your dad's favorite (@MegWalshh) March 19, 2021
Do it, you cowards.
release the NC-17 cut of Mrs Doubtfire, cowards https://t.co/VAGckgAfcM
— vince (@faggy_dog) March 19, 2021
There is no doubt this would happen.
The NC-17 version of Mrs. Doubtfire would pass Avatar in worldwide gross.
Release it now.
— undercoversupe (@secretidenti9) March 19, 2021
Come on, when’s the release date?
https://twitter.com/jr_foust/status/1372922620467888176
Title suggestion.
Release the NC-17 cut and call it 'Mrs. Doubtfire: Bad Nanny'. https://t.co/EsRasbvzuu
— Thulsa🐍Doom🐍Scroller🐍Fuggetti (@nomchompskey) March 19, 2021
Starring Ben Affleck as Mrs. Doubtfire.
https://twitter.com/offensiveloons/status/1372948472102543363
Now, here’s an idea.
Release the Mrs. Doubtfire NC-17 Cut…. Theatrically, after the majority of the country has vaccines.
A sort of "welcome back America" present from the late great Robin Williams. https://t.co/gSOK5EsOVp
— JD (@skidoosh10) March 19, 2021
OK, but let’s think about this for a moment…
I am racking my brain trying to think of what sort of deranged improv Robin Williams would have had to do to give 'Mrs. Doubtfire' an equivalent rating to the home release of 'Showgirls' https://t.co/GtLRCYnKJZ
— Connor Mannion (@FiletMannion) March 19, 2021
And while we’re at it, let’s get the R-rated cut of Aladdin released, too.
Give me the R Rated and NC17 Cuts of Mrs. Doubtfire. Given that it's Robin Williams that's not surprising since he improvised so much on Aladdin that they can't release all the footage cuz chunks of it is also Rated R. https://t.co/HFzMxZGgVG
— Charles Fernandez ᴮᴸᴹ #StanJosephineLangford (@movie_charles) March 19, 2021
1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire stars Williams as Daniel Hillard, a divorced dad and actor who resorts to masquerading as an aging British nanny in order to spend time with his kids. Co-starring Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan, it’s one of the much-missed comedian’s most beloved movies, so it’s kind of hilarious to imagine an expletive-filled version of the family-friendly feature. Despite the viral tweet, though, it’s unlikely that a proper R-rated, let alone NC-17, cut was ever actually put together by director Chris Columbus or even that much of the footage still exists/would be useable today.
A sequel had been stuck in development for years, but plans were permanently halted following Robin Williams’ tragic passing in 2014. A Broadway musical based on the film, meanwhile, was due to hit the boards last year, but was held up over the pandemic. It’s now tentatively set to begin its run this May, though that’s subject to change.
In the meantime, it looks like social media isn’t going to let the dream of seeing this long lost Mrs. Doubtfire footage go.