Rob Zombie, former rocker andignored cousin at everyHalloweenfranchise reunion, has set his sights on a new project, and it’s either the best or the most confusing idea. He’s now working on a film adaptation set to stream onPeacockof ’60s cult classic spooky sitcomThe Munsters, and if his social media post is anything to go by, he hasn’t been this excited since the Moon-maid had a baby on Dick Tracey.
Zombie made the announcement on his Instagram, featuring a teaser image that’s all at once not very revealing and also extremely on-brand for the eccentric filmmaker. “Attention Boils and Ghouls!” he said in the caption. “The rumors are true! My next film project will be the one I’ve been chasing for 20 years!THE MUNSTERS!" The former founder of the heavy metal band White Zombie appears to be very passionate about the project, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise given his professional history. Though it will be interesting to see how he adapts the light-hearted parody tone of the originalMunstersseries. But these aren’tthe same Munsters being hunted inBiomutant.
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The Munstersonly ran from 1964-1966 and didn’t see much success during its initial time on the air. But it gained cult status through syndication, earning its place in television culture right alongside shows likeThe Addams Familyand classic monster movies, which the show specifically aimed to parody (albeit in a loving way). It revolved around a family of monsters just trying to live the American suburban lifestyle in their own way. Featuring characters like a lumbering Frankenstein’s-monster-like patriarch and an elderly (and very different from hisCastlevaniaiterations)Count Dracula, it was clear the show didn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s why people liked it.
Zombie’s most recent work was his 2019 horror film3 from Hell, which was the third and final entry in hisFireflyfilm series (no, not that one), which also included 2003’sHouse of 1000 Corpsesand 2005’sThe Devil’s Rejects. As if the titles weren’t clear enough about his preferred style, he also directed the extremely divisive 2007Halloweenremake and its similarly received 2009 sequelHalloween II, which both earned praise for Zombie’s eccentric and creative approach to horror even among their largely negative receptions.
So what can audiences expect from such a uniquely macabre director when it comes to adapting a show made popular for its wholesome take on classic movie monsters? If he intends to play it straight, he might have some hurdles to clear just likeHannibalseries developer Bryan Fuller’s ill-fated 2012 attempt at a dark reboot of the series titledMockingbird Lane. But Zombie has a distinct style all his own, so it’s honestly difficult to predict what the movie will be like.
Either way, with someone like Zombie behind the wheel,The Munsterswill certainly be a memorable experience. Whether that experience will be enjoyable or just morbidly fascinating has yet to be seen, but the man has some real passion behind the project, and that’s got to count for something.
