Rob Zombie's The Munsters movie will release on Netflix. Known for House of 1000 Corpses and the Halloween reboots, Zombie is directing and producing the new movie off a script he wrote himself. The Munsters serves as a prequel to the 1960s family sitcom of the same name, and it features a new cast as the titular family, with Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman, Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily, and Daniel Roebuck as The Count/Grandpa. Zombie is an ardent fan of the original comedy series, and he has been planning to adapt it for the big screen for the past 20 years, although it was only in 2021 that he officially began work on the movie. The Munsters had been filming in Budapest since last November, and earlier this month, it wrapped up production.
Throughout the development process, Zombie kept The Munsters fans in the loop about the film by sharing frequent updates on Instagram. On July 13, he finally shared a surprisingly colorful trailer for The Munsters, revealing the authentic plot elements, as well as a replicated Mockingbird Lane Mansion. The response to the trailer, however, was largely mixed, with some criticizing the style and the direction, while others defended the movie's faithfulness to the campy and dramatic tone of the source material. Initially, it was suggested that Universal was scouting a September release window for the movie, and now there is an update about the same.
On Monday, Zombie took to Instagram to announce that The Munsters will be available to stream on Netflix. He pointed out that both The Munsters and Tim Burton's Addams Family TV series Wednesday are headed to the streamer, expressing excitement over the 1964 nostalgia it'll create for when the original Munsters and The Addams Family sitcoms aired simultaneously. He even included TV Guide's fall preview issue for the 1964-1965 season, recounting that it has been nearly six decades since the horror comedies competed against each other. Take a look at his post below
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Right now, no release date has been set in stone for Zombie's The Munsters movie. But from the director's post, it does seem like the film will come out around Halloween, which appears to be the ideal time for the prequel movie's premiere. Additionally, the confirmation that The Munsters will be on Netflix doesn't necessarily rule out a theatrical release. There is a chance that The Munsters might be screened in limited cinemas across the U.S. alongside its streaming release, although it's hard to say for sure until Universal makes an official announcement.
It's not clear if there were always plans to commission the movie for a streaming release, or if it were the harsh reactions to The Munsters trailer that caused a change of plan. Zombie, on his part, has earnestly tried to make a movie that is loyal to the franchise, eliminating the gruesome aspects that are typical of his work in favor of a PG-rating. Perhaps fans were expecting something different from the movie than what was shown in the trailer, but not much can be done now save for sprucing up the visual quality. The response to The Munsters isn't a good sign for its future, but hopefully, the streaming availability will earn the movie the audience it deserves. Moviegoers may be hesitant to go see the film in cinemas, but the convenient accessibility on Netflix might encourage them to give the movie a try and judge for themselves if The Munsters is a worthy watch.
Source: Rob Zombie/Instagram