Rob Zombie’s reportedThe Munsters Movieis now rumored to be headed straight to streaming as a Peacock exclusive. The latest rumors on the project were reported byBloody Disgusting. Last month, the outlet Murphy’s Multiverse reported that theHouse of 1000 Corpsesdirector was set to make a new live-action movie adaptation ofThe Munstersfor Universal Pictures. While the news still has yet to be officially confirmed by Zombie or the studio, word at the time was that shooting was scheduled to begin in Budapest in May.
Now, a new rumor reported by Bloody Disgusting potentially sheds some new light on the story. According to the outlet, the plan for Rob Zombie’sMunstersmovie is for the project to be developed for NBCUniversal’s streaming servicePeacock. Potentially, the movie will also premiere in theaters courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on the same day it starts streaming on Peacock, similar to what Warner Bros. has been doing with new releases at HBO Max.
The rumor mill also reports that the budget forThe MunstersbyRob Zombieis in the $30-40 million range. When the story was first reported by Murphy’s Multiverse, it was revealed that the cast would include Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily Munster and Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman. Frequent Zombie collaborators Daniel Roebuck and Richard Brake were also said to be cast in undisclosed roles alongside Jorge Garcia (Lost) and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark).
While Zombie is known for hisexcessively violent and vulgar movies, his appreciation forThe Munstersis well known among his fans. He previously covered the show’s iconic theme song, while another one of his most popular tunes, “Dragula,” is a direct reference to the series. Howard Stern has described how Zombie had given him a Herman Munster puppet as a surprise gift. The musician and filmmaker was also featured on the commentary track for Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release ofMunsters, Go Home.
The original incarnation ofThe Munsterswas developed by Norm Liebmann and Ed Haas and aired for 70 episodes between 1964 and 1966. In the years since, the series has maintained a large cult following, which obviously includes Rob Zombie. Its original cast featured Fred Gwynne asHerman 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.
Debuting as a filmmaker with 2003’sHouse of 1000 Corpses, Rob Zombie has gone on to helm a variety of horror movies. His other titles includeThe Devil’s Rejects,The Lords of Salem,31, and3 from Hell. He also remade John Carpenter’s classic slasher flickHalloweenin 2007 followed by a sequel,Halloween II, in 2009. It’s unclear if Zombie’s take onThe Munsterswill be more in line with the original series, or if it will come with Zombie’s hard R-rated style, but fans of thef filmmaker are nonetheless intrigued.The Munstersis currently streaming on Peacock if you want to binge the original series ahead of Rob Zombie’s reported remake.
