The trailer for Rob Zombie's The Munsters was recently released, and fans of the classic TV series are extremely divided. Set to release in September 2022, the film serves as a prequel and reboot of the original '60s television show of the same name, which ran for two seasons. Zombie's prequel follows the origins of Herman and Lily Munster and the love story that unfolds. The reboot stars Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily, Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman, and Daniel Roebuck as Grandpa.
Rob Zombie is best known for his work within the horror genre, notably the Firefly trilogy and 2007's Halloween reboot. Despite Zombie and his wife Sheri Moon Zombie being huge fans of The Munsters television series, fans were immediately concerned when it was announced he was helming a reboot, given his previous gruesome horror movies. The director has continuously kept fans in the loop on the film's progress, most recently in the form of The Munsters official trailer, which offered new plot details and a fresh look at Zombie's surprisingly colorful take on The Munsters.
When the official trailer for The Munsters was released, fan reactions were split over Zombie's take on the franchise. Fans of the original show and critics of Zombie alike voiced concerns over the style and direction of The Munsters reboot, stating that the film appears cheaply made and even a parody of the source material. Others defended the trailer, noting that the 1964 series was always campy and over-acted, and the film is a love letter to the original. Here are some fan reactions:
Zombie has long said The Munsters is a passion project for him and that he wanted to make it as authentic to the original series as possible. Previous teases of the movie certainly seemed like he was fulfilling that promise, so it's a shame this latest update is receiving such mixed responses. It's possible the trailer doesn't do The Munsters justice, but it is clearly not what fans were expecting from the reboot. The Munsters is completely different than anything Zombie has done in the past and it doesn't look like fans are quite sold on him taking on a PG property.
Universal will continue to ramp up the marketing for The Munsters with September quickly approaching. Unfortunately, it is too late to make any significant changes since The Munsters has officially wrapped filming. It's possible the film can be visually changed with the colors being toned down, but even that won't correct the major problems fans seem to be having with the movie. Some are hesitant to cast judgment on the film until they see it, yet the mixed reactions to the full-length trailer is a troubling development for Zombie's The Munsters.
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