Rob Zombie Shares The Blueprints For 'The Munsters' House On Mockingbird Lane
Rockstar-turned-genre-filmmaker Rob Zombie recently announced that he will be directing a reboot of The Munsters, a 1964 sitcom featuring a family of amiable monsters. Zombie announced his plans to rebuild the family's original house on 1313 Mockingbird Lane and began laying the groundwork for how he plans to approach the retro revival.
The Home of Our Beloved Nightmares
A life-long fan of the 1964s sitcom, Zombie has been talking about directing his own take on the show for 20 years and has been sharing updates on Instagram. He recently revealed plans for the iconic Munster house and stated in his post:
"The blueprints are done! Time to start the construction. ? Get ready for the most perfect Munsters house since 1964. I want this thing exact. #robzombie #themunsters #budapest??"
Speculation around the beloved Victorian house has been circulating the internet but it is refreshing to see that Zombie is dedicated to the sitcom's original design. However, I do wish the production was being done locally instead of in Budapest.
The original house on 1313 Mockingbird Lane fictionally resides on the outskirts of Los Angeles and was built on the Universal Studios backlot. It was originally constructed with two other houses on the studio's largest soundstage, Stage 12, for the 1946 film So Goes My Love. Another cool fact about the house is that once The Munsters wrapped, the house was dressed and remodeled to be featured in Desperate Housewives as well as Coach.
I hope that Zombie decides to change up the interior of the house, though. Gregg Gibbs' production design coupled with Lisa K. Sessions' set design was disturbing as hell on Zombie's 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. Zombie later brought on production designer Anton Tremblay for his Halloween remake and sequel to House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects. It will be interesting to see if Zombie sways more towards the horror or the family comedy and wholesome nature of The Munsters. With such a wicked and ruthless resume, it's hard to imagine Zombie portraying kind characters on screen, but I hope he tries. However, it is unclear whether Zombie himself will write the film's screenplay at this time.
The Munster Mash
The Munsters aired from 1964-1966 on CBS and only lasted 2 seasons. The characters resemble some of the most iconic Universal Classic Monsters such as Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and The Wolf Man. However, you do not have to be a horror fan to enjoy the series. The show was produced by the team that created Leave it to Beaver and that sense of wholesome comedy carried over into the charming horror sitcom. In fact, it is a satire on suburban life and stereotypical family dynamics. Despite often being compared to The Addams Family, The Munsters can stand on their own and have a certain innocence about them. With this in mind, it'll be really cool to see how Zombie resurrects the creepy clan all these decades later.