Horror filmmaker and musician Rob Zombie has offered fans the latest update on the construction of the Munsters’ family home for his upcoming movie The Munsters. The famed horror-comedy series enjoyed a short but memorable run from 1964-66, offering audiences the opportunity to see some of Universal’s classic monsters in an all-new and humorous light. Zombie’s adaptation marks the first feature film effort since Munster, Go Home! in 1966.
At present, not a lot is known about Zombie’s adaptation in terms of plot or casting. Fortunately, Zombie has been very open about the progress of production and filming, which is currently taking place in Hungary. So far, fans have been treated to sneak peeks of the practical effects being used on some of the film’s monsters, as well as of construction on the Munsters family home at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. For his part, Zombie has often expressed complete devotion to the project, emphasizing the fact that he’s wanted to make a Munsters feature film for the past 20 years. Fans of the series are certainly eager to see their favorite monster family back together again, but Zombie’s track record as a filmmaker doesn’t necessarily fill some fans with confidence.
All conjecture regarding The Munsters aside, however, there’s no denying that current work on the creation of the ghoulish family home at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the Mockingbird Heights neighborhood is impressive. Zombie recently took to his Instagram account to give Munsters fans a new update on the construction of the set. As can be seen in the images below, the home is truly starting to resemble the one that has been widely known and loved for decades. Zombie has once again reiterated the desire to get everything as perfect as possible, making the set’s completion a very interesting prospect.
The original TV series used the Universal Studios backlot as the location for Mockingbird Heights and the sets for 1313 Mockingbird Lane have lived a long and storied life since being used for The Munsters. Today the remaining sets are mere pieces that have been reassembled to form the sets of other Hollywood homes. For this reason, Zombie’s reconstructed take on 1313 Mockingbird Lane will be the most authentic of its kind in decades. With this much attention to detail, it seems a safe bet that on a visual level at least, Zombie’s take on The Munsters will bring fans all the way back to the days of the show’s original run.
It’s understandable at this point how long-time fans of The Munsters see Zombie’s involvement as both exciting and concerning. There’s no question that this film is a passion project for the White Zombie frontman, and it could even be argued there are few directors out there who are better suited to adapt the classic sitcom to the big screen. But simply loving a franchise or IP doesn’t necessarily guarantee quality. What will be the real test for Zombie’s take on The Munsters is whether or not its plot and cast can really engage with audiences beyond providing nostalgia.
Source: Rob Zombie