When it was announced that horror director Rob Zombie was rebooting The Munsters, a beloved family-friendly 1960s sitcom, some may have feared that he was going to turn the family of monsters into purveyors of hardcore violence. Zombie’s track-record of making R-rated horror movies certainly would have suggested as much. However, it’s with relief that we can bring you the news that Zombie’s Munsters film will be rated PG.
Zombie was in the 1980s heavy metal band White Zombie before turning to horror movie directing with 2003’s House of 1000 Corpses, followed by others including The Devil’s Rejects, 2007’s version of Halloween and Lords of Salem. The Munsters has long been a passion project for Zombie, and he has been providing behind-the-scenes updates and photos on his Instagram account.
The Munsters aired at the same time as The Addams Family, but was (dare we say it) a better spin on a similar idea. Herman Munster was the patriarch, fashioned after Frankenstein’s Monster, who was married to Lily Munster, a vampire. They lived with their werewolf son Eddie, Grandpa (also a vampire) and their human niece Marilyn.
Zombie’s three lead Munster actors are his frequent collaborators Jeff Daniel Phillips (Herman), Sheri Moon Zombie (Lily), and Daniel Roebuck (Grandpa). Filming took place in Budapest, where 1313 Mockingbird Lane was meticulously recreated, and Zombie shared every stage of the process of set construction on his Instagram page. He also shared costume designs and many other insights into the movie-making process.
His latest post, which revealed the PG rating for “macabre and suggestive material, scary images and language” was accompanied by him saying; “For those of you speculating, wondering and assuming that The Munsters would be dirty, violent and nasty… well, you are wrong. It’s all good down on Mockingbird Lane.”
If you’re in the market for more family-friendly horror movies, check out our guide to the best scary movies for kids.