Rob Zombie’s upcoming feature film reboot of The Munsters marks a massive deviation from the director’s previous work, but that may prove to be a good thing. The 1960s sitcom ran on CBS for two seasons, depicting the suburban home life of a family of friendly monsters. The show was in direct competition with ABC’s similarly themed sitcom, The Addam’s Family, as satires of both monster movies and family-fare of the era. Although The Addam’s Family has had several cinematic reboots since the original TV series, multiple attempts to reboot The Munsters have failed to make it to the screen prior to Rob Zombie’s adaptation.
Rob Zombie was a vocalist for the 1980s heavy metal band White Zombie before shifting to a solo music career with the release of 1998’s Hellbilly Deluxe. Zombie’s feature-film debut came with the release of House of 1000 Corpses in 2003, though the film was originally made in 2000. Prior to his career as a horror movie filmmaker, Zombie had directed multiple music videos for White Zombie and his own solo album including one for the single “Dragula” which contained references to The Munsters. The title of the track refers to Grandpa Munster’s iconic vehicle, named DRAG-U-LA, and the music video features an homage to the moment from the show’s credits with The Munsters exiting the family car.
This connection may make it seem as though Rob Zombie is ideal for rebooting The Munsters, but it marks a significant break from a trend in the horror director’s film career. Although the series had a comedic tone likely to be carried over into Zombie’s reboot, it also allows the filmmaker to continue working in the horror genre he is best known for. Eight out of the nine feature films Zombie has directed have belonged to the horror genre, including his reboot of Halloween and its sequel. Even if The Munsters is included in the genre, despite the added comedic elements, the film still features a drastic change from the filmmaker’s past work.
While every other narrative feature film directed by Rob Zombie has been rated R, it was recently confirmed that The Munsters officially received a PG rating by the MPAA. Not only is this a good sign for fans of the original series, indicating an effort to remain faithful to the source material, but it also gives Zombie an opportunity to stretch himself as a filmmaker. The horror director’s last four films failed to make a profit and critical reception has also steadily declined, so The Munsters could provide Zombie his first success in over a decade. There is also a precedent for directors known for R-rated films making the decision to tackle family fare with great success. Horror director Wes Craven surprised audiences in 1999 by directing the PG-rated Music of the Heart, and David Lynch was met with critical acclaim after making The Straight Story, a G-rated Disney film released the same year.
Rob Zombie’s decision to make a PG film might bring him similar success, reviving the musician’s filmmaking career. While The Munsters could break Zombie out of horror in the traditional sense, it does allow him to continue themes found in much of his filmography. Along with allowing the director to retain the macabre elements found in his horror films, albeit toned down for younger audience members, The Munsters continues Zombie’s preoccupation with the family unit. Depictions of families have been consistent through much of the director’s work, including a deeper examination of Michael Myers’ home life in his Halloween films. The Munsters provides Rob Zombie the perfect opportunity to continue focusing on themes of family, though likely without as much dysfunction as found in his R-rated horror films.
