Although Rob Zombie’s reboot of The Munsters (2022) seems to be staying faithful to the original series, some of his changes will be good for the new movie. Originally airing for two seasons on CBS, the 1960s sitcom has become a classic from its era. Multiple attempts have been made to remake The Munsters through both television shows and movies, but Zombie is the first to try since Bryan Fuller’s rejected pilot in 2012. Known for making horror films such as The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses, and Halloween, The Munsters reboot will mark Zombie’s first step into family-friendly content.
Satirizing both horror movies and the American suburban lifestyle, The Munsters centered on a benevolent monster family living in a typical neighborhood. Herman Munster, who resembled Frankenstein’s monster, led the family alongside his wife, Lily Munster, a vampire. Lily’s father and fellow vampire, simply called “Grandpa,” also lived with the family. As a group, the adults looked after the Munsters’ son, a werewolf named Eddie, and their beautiful niece, Marilyn, who they viewed as an ugly duckling.
Building anticipation for The Munsters reboot, Zombie has been posting images of the cast and sets on his social media accounts. Most of these have shown him staying true to The Munsters’ classic look, only slightly updating some character designs. However, more recent pictures have revealed some of the changes the iconic horror director will be making. Given that The Munsters reboot needs to offer audiences something new, rather than simply copying the original show, these changes could be good for the upcoming movie. Known changes include new adaptations of characters and closer attention to detail in general.
As the first major change in The Munsters reboot, Zombie recently released the first photograph of Igor on set. In the original Munsters series, Igor was Grandpa’s pet bat, who only communicated with him through squeaks. In contrast, this version of Igor appears to be human, played by Sylvester McCoy. Described as the Munsters’ servant, the image shows Igor blowing out candles with bat symbols nearby. Due to this, Zombie’s Igor seems more similar to Cousin Igor, a character in the 1981 film The Munsters’ Revenge. This suggests that Zombie will include elements from a variety of Munsters works, not just the original series, which will allow for greater development of the Munsters’ family and world.
Additionally, Zombie’s reboot will be different due to having more detail than the original Munsters show. With the benefit of modern technology and a larger budget, the reboot will be able to have more complex sets, costumes, and makeup. For example, Zombie has already released multiple pictures of the Munsters’ home on 1313 Mockingbird Lane. While the house closely resembles the classic design, it is also more detailed than any earlier sets.
Similarly, recent photographs suggest that The Munsters reboot may not be in black and white. Earlier in production, most images teasing the upcoming film were in black and white, making viewers wonder if the reboot would mimic the show’s classic aesthetic. However, more recent pictures, including those of Igor and the house, have been in color. If The Munsters reboot is in color, this will allow audiences to see details in the movie’s makeup and set design that were not visible in the original series. While Zombie’s The Munsters reboot seems to be taking great inspiration from the classic show, it will also incorporate new details in characters and designs to update the story for younger audiences.