John Waters Says No One Will Fund ‘Liarmouth’ With Aubrey Plaza, 22 Years Since Last Movie: “Nobody Will Give Us the Money”

Hard to believe, but John Waters hasn’t directed a film in 22 years — his last effort was 2004’s “A Dirty Shame.” It’s not for lack of trying, either; for example, in 2009, Waters was set to direct “Fruitcake,” a Christmas comedy at New Line, but the project stalled during development.

A glimmer of hope occurred in 2024, when Waters confirmed that Aubrey Plaza would star in his next film, “Liarmouth.” However, despite turning in the script and the project entering pre-production, it ultimately fell apart.

The filmmaker is now addressing what happened, reiterating his desire to still make the film — but here’s the problem: he doesn’t have the money to do it. Nobody wants to fund it (via Variety):

I was going to adapt my first novel, “Liarmouth.” It was optioned. I wrote the script. Aubrey Plaza was going to star, but nobody will give us the money.

How sad that a John Waters–directed movie, which would likely fall into the mid-range indie film budget — roughly $7M to $10M — cannot find the money to get made. Maybe Waters could crowdfund the project, or A24 could somehow come on board; forget about Neon — they seem to prefer Cannes Competition titles or cheapies directed by Osgood Perkins.

Synopsis: “Liarmouth,” based on Waters’ own novel, follows con artist Marsha Sprinkle, who is described as “a suitcase thief, scammer, and master of disguise. Dogs and children hate her. Her own family wants her dead. She’s smart, she’s desperate, she’s disturbed, and she’s on the run with a big chip on her shoulder. They call her Liarmouth―until one insane man makes her tell the truth.”

As mentioned, Waters’ last filthy creation was “A Dirty Shame”; he’s the iconoclast filmmaker behind “Pink Flamingos,” “Polyester,” “Serial Mom,” and “Hairspray.” This sicko world needs a new John Waters movie, and the fact that nobody wants to invest money in making it happen is too depressing to think about.