Eccentric musician turned eccentric director Rob Zombie appears more excited than anyone to get fully underway with production on his upcoming film reboot of The Munsters. After announcing the Peacock project in June, it seems he's already spun things into full gear, teasing not only the family patriarch's iconic forehead (which is admittedly not an often-uttered statement) but also the spooky dwelling that will house the titular family on Mockingbird Lane.
Posting his news updates on Instagram, as one does, Zombie displayed the blueprint for the family's house. A typically enthusiastic caption accompanied the image, saying "The blueprints are done! Time to start the construction. Get ready for the most perfect Munsters house since 1964. I want this thing exact." A quick look through shots of the original house (which is still standing, albeit after a number of renovations over the years) shows that the plans are remarkably accurate, suggesting that Zombie really wants to pay proper homage to the original show. Interestingly enough, that original exterior set has been in use since well before The Munsters came on the air, appearing in productions from 1951's Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man all the way to the popular series Desperate Housewives.
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Shortly after revealing the Munster Mansion, Zombie then offered a more up close and personal teaser in the form of the prosthetic (no, not that kind of prosthetic) to be worn by the actor playing Herman Munster. "The clay is out and the sculpting has begun on a very prominent brow for THE MUNSTERS," said his accompanying caption, leading some to speculate that whoever will play the role of Herman may be close to being finalized, if not already set up for an upcoming announcement. Between the blueprint and the prosthetic, Zombie appears intent on at the very least recapturing the visual style of the original Munsters series. Based on his track record as a director, however, it wouldn't be surprising to see his own unique spin on the concept.
The original Munsters series, which aired from 1964-1966, was a tongue-in-cheek sitcom following a family inspired by classic film monsters. Herman Munster was portrayed as Frankenstein's Monster, while his wife Lily and her father were both vampires (with "Grandpa" Munster humorously played as an elderly version of Count Dracula). Their son, Eddie, rounded things out as a young werewolf. Meanwhile, the daughter Marilyn was the only "normal" member of the family, seen in subversion as the ugly duckling of the family due to being conventionally attractive. Much of the show's popularity came in the many years after it left the air, similar to other long-remembered series of the time.
Zombie's upcoming film isn't the first attempt at rebooting the series, or even the second. A 1988 sequel series called The Munsters Today ran for an impressive 3 seasons, even earning some decent popularity with international audiences. Notably, Eddie Munster was played in that series by now accomplished voice actor Jason Marsden, perhaps best known as Max Goof in A Goofy Movie and that guy who's got something he's supposed to deliver in Skyrim. The other, less successful shot at a reboot came from Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller. Titled Mockingbird Lane, the one-hour drama was canceled before even being picked up due to disagreements about its tone.
It's anybody's guess how Zombie's take on the ghoulish family will go. Based on his previous works, it seems likely that he'll try to remain consistent with the original's vision while adding some new depth of his own, at least if 2007's Halloween is anything to go by (Don't worry, he's not the one who did Halloween Resurrection). But one thing's for sure, he's definitely got the spirit.
Zombie's Munsters film has no release date yet, but it will premiere in theaters and be available for streaming on Peacock.
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