Earlier this year, NBC announced a reboot of the classic TV sitcom “The Munsters” from the pen of “Pushing Daisies” creator Bryan Fuller with a pilot episode helmed by director Bryan Singer.
This new incarnation of “The Munsters” was previously described as “‘True Blood’ meets ‘Modern Family” before it was rebranded as “Mockingbird Lane.” In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fuller shared his thoughts on why the name change was necessary and how his take will differ from the original series.
“The script is such a dramatic departure from the tone and style of the original show,” said Fuller. “If we continued to call the show ‘The Munsters,’ people are just going to to think we’re doing ‘The Munsters.’ We’re doing a reinvention and re-imagination of this property.”
“There’s some great stories going forward in the series,” continued Fuller. “Any story you can tell on ‘Parenthood’ we can run through a Universal monster prism and tell it in a very twisted, off-kilter way. What I love about the pilot story is it’s about a family who loves each other and they have a child [Eddie, the werewolf] with a disability and they’re trying to craft a path for that child so he can have a happy life — they just happen to be monsters. And, unlike in the original, we’re going to see our monsters do monstrous things.”
“We want this show to be an American Harry Potter,” added Fuller. “To have that sense of a magical world that you get to go to with your family and find stories told in a fantastical way that are instantly relatable. It’s an ‘American Horror Story’ that the whole family can watch.”
The complete interview with Fuller also unveiled a first look at the Munsters’ reimagined mansion, which you can see below.
Thus far, only two cast members have been announced for “Mockingbird Lane.” British comedian Eddie Izzard is the new Grandpa Munster while Charity Wakefield will play Marilyn Munster, the one member of the family who doesn’t outwardly have a monstrous appearance. Casting for the rest of the famous TV family is expected to be announced soon.
What are you thoughts on Fuller’s defense of his “Mockingbird Lane” reboot of “The Munsters”? Share your opinions in the comment section below!
