
EXCLUSIVE: NBC’s The Munsters will be brought to you by The Bryans. X-Men and Superman Returns helmer Bryan Singer is finalizing a deal to direct and executive produce Bryan Fuller’s reboot of the 1960s comedy, which recently received a pilot order by NBC. Universal Television is producing the project, described as an imaginative reinvention of The Munsters as a visually spectacular one-hour drama. Singer, who had been interested in the project since before it got the greenlight by NBC two weeks ago, will executive produce with Fuller.
After originally developing The Munsters last season, Fuller redeveloped it with NBC’s new executive team this summer and delivered his new script at the beginning of this month. Like Fuller’s previous series, Pushing Daisies, The Munsters calls for striking visuals mixed with all the classic Munsters archetypes, and NBC had been looking for a top director to create the world of The Munsters circa 2011. The pilot for Fuller’s Pushing Daisies also was directed by a feature helmer, Barry Sonnenfeld, who earned an Emmy for his work. The first pilot Singer directed was House, and he continues to serve as an executive producer on the long-running Fox medical drama. Singer has since directed only one other pilot, ABC’s Football Wives, and he served as an executive producer on the ABC drama series Dirty Sexy Money. Earlier this year, he produced the Warner Premiere Digital Web series H+. On the feature side, WME-repped Singer most recently produced X-Men: First Class. As a director, he is in post-production on Jack the Giant Killer.
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One thing producers need to realize, that I don’t think the ones before have, is that the one of main things that made the Munsters a classic, was the fantastic chemistry between Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis. That will be very hard to duplicate.
After THE MUNSTERS they should also reimagine F TROOP as a sweeping dramatic miniseries about Native American genocide. O’Rourke: Alec Baldwin. Agarn: Andy Dick. Captain Parmenter: William H. Macy. Wrangler Jane: Jenny McCarthy. Like THE PACIFIC, only in Wyoming.
Great idea, but don’t laugh. Next they’ll be doing “Harold and the Purple Crayon: The Movie.”
NBC is doing this an 1-hour comedy? Ugh. Big Mistake. Huge.
I would love to see Danny DiVito as Grampa. Just for something completely different.
Actually, if you like “Wonderfalls” and “Pushing Daisies” then this reboot is not such a crazy idea. Using stylized genre ideas to explore emotional issues. Eddie is a pre-pubescent boy who suddenly finds himself transforming. Herman (who is written so that he is just a big lug, think Jason Segal, rather than a CBS “Fat Dad” type) is literally wearing out his steampunk heart because he loves Lilly so much – and is worried that his emotions won’t carry over if he gets a new one. After Lilly’s sister tried to eat Marilyn when she was born, Lilly developed an eating disorder and now hangs out under suicide bridges to feed — so that nothing goes to waste. It’s clever and zippy with a surprising amount of heart. Not entirely sure about Singer – but glad they didn’t try to just re-pair Fuller with Sonnenfeld or somesuch.
When is someone going to remake Heaven’s Gate?
Brad Garrett as Hermann. Don’t fight it.
Lily is supposed to be a hotty, not a mom type. That argues for Teri Hatcher, not Patricia Heaton.
Danny DeVito was born to play Grandpa.
read the script which I found to be very strange. I have no idea who the audience is for this very dark one-hour comedy. BTW, Herman is described as handsome and gangly in his 30′s and Grandpa becomes a much younger man in the end so I don’t think any of your casting ideas for them are going to work.
It’ll be like American Gothic Ghost Stories or whatever the hell that’s called
The Munsters was and remains a brilliant antidote to the milquetoast Addams Family. The “Universal” monsters were in their groovy heyday and should be honored as such. This new “reboot” scares me as all the other attempts to pull off the chemistry of the original have been complete and utter dumbed down disasters. DeCarlo ,Gwynne,and Lewis weren’t the best of friends by a long shot, but could pull off a comedic turn with real conviction. Naysayers: retreat back in to your Twilight closets. Geezus.
Yes, if you were one of the 5 people who faithfully watched Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies, then you shall certainly be one of the 5 people who enjoy the Munsters Reboot. For the hot second it is on the air.
The original Munsters ran from 64-66. 70 episodes were correct. 38 first season and 32 the second season.
The Munsters? Really? How does one do a remake of a show whose actors MADE the characters come to life? I cannot see anybody else as Herman other than Fred Gwynne. Yvonne DeCarlo brought Lily to “life”. Butch Patrick is Eddie Munster. I guess he could be Grampa now? Grampa Eddie… A drama? The Munsters? Really?
LOL!!!
I stand corrected. I had only one season’s episode count. But it was a pretty low-rated show the entire time it was on – it only found an audience in re-runs. Unless they run it on TV Land, where every show is a re-run automatically, it will never be around long enough for anyone to care.
Done right this could work – but it’s a long shot.
The Munsters always saw themselves as an all-American NORMAL family. If he keeps this in mind, it will work.
WHY can’t Hollywood come up with any NEW ideas? Seems as tho all Hollywood does anymore is REmake what someone else already did. And the worst part of it is; it’s ALWAYS a failure.
Hollywood = Copycat
to all Hollywood writers: TRY to come up with something NEW and FRESH that isn’t stupid, gay, or reality. USE YOUR IMAGINATIONS FOR A CHANGE- STOP STEALING other people’s ideas (Even tho they worked originally)
If they really want to make this stand out, they should produce the series in Black and white. Since it is a homage to Frankenstein, dracula, etc, etc. Keeping it B/W will maintain the illusion of the classics. As soon as one of these type of shows is put to color, it looses all credability.