Rumor is Rob Zombie will write and direct The Munsters, a new movie based on the classic sitcom, with Sheri Moon Zombie playing Lily.


Rob Zombie has reportedly been hired by Universal Pictures to direct a new movie based on the classic comedy series The Munsters. Murphy's Multiverse reports that the House of 1000 Corpses director will write and direct the new movie adaptation with production scheduled to begin in Budapest in early May. As of now, neither Zombie nor Universal has yet officially commented on the rumors.

Per the report, Rob Zombie has also called upon some of his frequent collaborators to play main roles in the rumored movie. His real-life wife and consistent lead star Sheri Moon Zombie has reportedly been cast as Lily Munster, the matriarch of the family, while The Lords of Salem and 3 from Hell star Jeff Daniel Phillips will play her husband Herman. Daniel Roebuck and Richard Brake, two other actors who often appear in Zombie's movies, have also been cast in undisclosed roles alongside Jorge Garcia (Lost) and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark).

Because Zombie's movies are known for their vulgarity and excessive violence, the director might seem like an odd choice as the right filmmaker to reimagine The Munsters. However, his fandom and appreciation of the classic sitcom are very well documented. As a musician, he has previously covered the show's iconic theme song and his popular song "Dragula" is a direct reference to the series. Howard Stern has also described Zombie as a Munsters superfan, revealing in January that the 3 from Hell director gifted him with a Herman Munster puppet.

Developed by Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas, The Munsters originally aired for 70 episodes between 1964 and 1966. Despite its short run, the show later found a new life with much greater popularity through airing the old episodes in syndication. The original cast featured Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster, Yvonne De Carlo as Lily, Al Lewis as Grandpa, Butch Patrick as Eddie, and Pat Priest and Beverly Owen sharing the role of Marilyn. Mel Blanc and Bob Hastings also voiced The Raven.

In the late 80s and early 90s, a new cast also brought back the old characters in the sequel TV series The Munsters Today. Several movies featuring several members of the original cast would also be released over the years, including Munster, Go Home! in 1966, The Mini-Munsters in 1973, Here Comes the Munsters in 1995, and The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas in 1996. Both the Wayans brothers and Seth Meyers have been attached to planned movie reboots at various points, but neither project ever came to fruition.

In 2012, NBC put in an attempt to revive the show with a reboot dubbed Mockingbird Lane, a reference to the Munster family's address at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Presented as a one-hour Halloween special, the show was developed by Bryan Fuller and starred Jerry O'Connell and Portia de Rossi. Ultimately, the network decided to pass on ordering the special to series.

The Munsters movie does not yet have a release date as Universal has not yet confirmed the movie's production.

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