is real and to give him her love. The nanny attempts to leave the front yard, but her leg is caught in a rope pulley trap set by Natalie and Fred, with her hanging upside down from the tree shouting for help as Mickey attempts to help her down. Natalie is seen giggling hysterically with her hand held out like she's got her pinky held by Fred in a pinky swear type gesture. Cast Phoebe Cates as Elizabeth Cronin Ashley Peldon as Young Elizabeth Rik Mayall as Drop Dead Fred Marsha Mason as Polly Cronin Ron Eldard as Michael "Mickey" Bunce Carrie Fisher as Janie Tim Matheson as Charles Gretterson Daniel Gerroll as Nigel Cronin Keith Charles as Murray Cheryl Hawker as Nurse Peter Breitmayer as Go to Hell Herman Clark Niederjohn as Velcro Head Tom Bethke as Graggy Elizabeth Gray as Namby Pamby Bridget Fonda as Annabella (uncredited) Eleanor Mondale as Attractive customer Bob Reid as Judge Dubben Peter Thoemke as Arsonist Production Tim Burton and Robin Williams were offered the role of director and Fred respectively. They turned the project down. The film's screenplay was rewritten by director Ate de Jong and producer Paul Webster throughout pre-production. For the re-writes, de Jong took inspiration from being molested as a child by his older half-brother, stating "the trauma of child abuse goes deep and its claws reach far in time. It was not something ever spoken about on the set, not with Rik or anyone, but for me it existed." Filming took place in August and September 1990. Filmed in Minneapolis, a large part of Drop Dead Fred was filmed at Prince's Paisley Park Studios in the suburb of Chanhassen. It had been a rumor since the film's release that Prince visited the set, but Webster debunked this in an interview with The Telegraph in 2021. Reception Box office Drop Dead Fred, produced on a budget of just under $6.8 million, was released theatrically in North America on May 24, 1991, grossing $3,625,648 on its opening weekend, and $13,878,334 over its entire theatrical run. It made £1,794,121 in the UK. Critical response Drop Dead Fred was critically panned upon release, but has gone on to become a cult film. On Rotten Tomatoes it has an approval rating of 11% based on 36 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Tackling mature themes with an infantile sensibility, Drop Dead Fred is an