Rob Zombie Shares A First Look At Iconic Reboot For The Munsters
Zombie is in the process of directing a rebooted version of the classic television series The Munsters. Official pictures have been posted on Zombie’s Instagram showing the iconic reboot.
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Master of horror Rob Zombie has an update for his newest project. Zombie has been notable for his gritty contributions to the horror genre. Now he has a new feature film in the works that should excite many fans of vintage television. Zombie is in the process of directing a rebooted version of the classic television series The Munsters. Official pictures have been posted on Zombie’s Instagram showing the iconic set. The Munsters’ house is 1313 Mockingbird Lane, which Zombie went to great lengths to recreate for the film.
You can see the new look at 1313 Mockingbird Lane for The Munsters reboot below.
The original series for The Munsters was shot in black and white in the 1960s. Below, you can see a look at the original 1313 Mockingbird Lane from the show. Note the arches in the house, and how Rob Zombie’s photo above replicates the home’s structure.
Although The Munsters is not a direct horror franchise as fans are used to seeing from Rob Zombie, there is no doubt that there are obvious connections. The original television show had roots in horror and is prime material for Zombie to adapt. Originally airing in 1964, The Munsters was a comedy about a family of monsters in a similar vein to The Addams Family. The family did not adhere to normal family standards as they were archetypes found in horror. Herman Munster (Fred Gwynne) was the patriarch and essentially Frankenstein’s monster. His wife Lily (Yvonne De Carlo) was a vampire while their son Eddie (Butch Patrick) was a werewolf. The joke of the show was that Marilyn (Pat Priest) was the “normal” member of the family, which made her an oddity. Marilyn was originally portrayed by Beverly Owens who died in 2019 (per Deadline).
Rob Zombie’s reboot of The Munsters will not be the first time that this has been attempted. In 2012, the characters were revitalized for a short-lived Halloween special (via Bloody Disgusting). The special was developed by Bryan Fuller who is most known for his work on NBC’s Hannibal and Dead Like Me. Initially the special was intended to go to series. But NBC did not pick up the pilot and the special aired by itself. Characters Herman (Jerry O’Connell), Lily (Portia de Rossi), and Grandpa (Eddie Izzard) returned in a slightly modernized version. The special packed in the humor and horror that Fuller is known for.
The passing of Fuller’s The Munsters almost a decade ago is disappointing, but hopefully Rob Zombie will be able to inject similar humor into his version. Zombie is accustomed to the horror roots and it will be interesting to see how he will pull off a more comedic approach. The director has his own aesthetic with films such as House of 1,000 Corpses and Lords of Salem. With the Halloween franchise being retooled, some may have even forgotten about the director’s foray into the franchise in 2007. Though both of Zombie’s Halloween films were divisive, the films did show what the director could do with the established source material (per The Hollywood Reporter). Even though his films are known for their gore and disturbing content, a certain kind of humor can be found as well.
So far The Munsters is early into production, but there is some casting news available. It should not come as a shock that Zombie has cast his wife Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily Munster. Sheri Moon is a familiar face in Zombie’s films. She played Deborah Myers in the Halloween reboot and sadistic sister Baby of the Firefly family franchise. Also slated to appear is Jeff Daniel Philips as Herman Munster. The Zombie family has been vocal about their love for the franchise (via Deadline). Though it is unclear what kind of film audiences will embark on, Zombie will surely provide the same level of passion he does in all of his other projects.
