According to screenwriter/director Patty Jenkins, 2003’s Monster was originally intended to be a lighthearted comedy and comprised almost entirely of scenes at the carnival. When asked how the film ended up as the dark, character-driven biopic it became, Jenkins said that actress Charlize Theron is “to blame” for “insisting on taking it to a really twisted place.” Despite the many awards the film won, Jenkins maintains that her original premise and title (Carnival Lesbians) were superior.