Lots of news regarding NBC’s dark reboot of The Munsters. Pics from the set revealing Grandpa and Marilyn Munster’s looks have surfaced, Jerry O’Connell talks about what to expect, and the show has found its leading lady Lily.
Portia De Rossi has secured the female lead in Mockingbird Lane, joining Jerry O’Connell (Herman), and Eddie Izzard (Grandpa). True Blood actress Mariana Klaveno was originally set for the part. However, she was cast in a supporting role in ABC’s Devious Maids and was not released from her contract to pursue playing Lily for NBC.
The pilot, delayed in production due to late casting, derives its name from the street address the Universal Studios monsters-inspired family lived on in the original show, 1313 Mockingbird Lane. The pilot is being helmed by Bryan Singer (X-Men) and produced/written by Pushing Daisies mastermind Bryan Fuller.
‘We want this to be an American Harry Potter,” Fuller told Entertainment Weekly in April. “Any story you can tell on Parenthood, we can run through a monster prism and tell in a twisted way. It’s an American Horror Story the whole family can watch.”
De Rossi, who most recently was seen in ABC’s Better Off Ted and the FOX cult phenom Arrested Development, will take over from Yvonne De Carlo’s Lily in the ’60s black and white comedy show. The character was based on the Bride of Frankenstein, as Herman was modeled after Frankenstein’s Monster (with O’Connell filling in Fred Gwynne’s iconic big boots).
“It’s gonna be completely different,” Jerry O’Connell recently revealed to Access Hollywood. “It’s a little darker than the original. It really is.”
O’Connell also said in addition to his excitement for working with Singer and Fuller, that the new modern take has “a lot of cool special effects.” “I can’t wait for people to see it,” he added.
Mason Cook (Spy Kids 4D) has been cast as Eddie, the werewolf son of Herman and Lily, and newcomer Charity Wakefield will play Marilyn, the black sheep cousin who stands out as an actual normal person. Here is a picture of Wakefield from the set of courtesy of Arrow In The Head.
In addition to this picture released from Bryan Fuller of Izzard as Grandpa from a costume fitting, Entertainment Weekly scored a first look a while’s back at some of the character designs for Grandpa, Lily, and the iconic family mansion. It remains to be revealed if the Munsters’ fire breathing pet Spot will live under the staircase in this version.
And check out here Jerry O’Connell chatting with AccessHollywood.com’s Laura Saltman about what he may look like as Herman Munster.
SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, AccessHollywood.com, Arrow In The Head
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