THE MUNSTERS Actor Daniel Roebuck Praises Rob Zombie's Vision of the Film
While I’m not the biggest fan of the films that Rob Zombie has made, it sounds like The Munsters might actually be a film of his that I could enjoy. I’m a huge fan of The Munsters, and I used to watch it all the time as a kid with my mom. Everything that I’ve seen from this upcoming film looks like it honors the original series and captures its spirit.
The film stars Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman Munster, Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily Munster, and Dan Roebuck as Grandpa Munster. In a recent interview with Horror Geek Life, Roebuck opened up a bit about the film and had nothing but great things to say about Zombie. One of the first things he shared is how he felt he’s prepared his whole life for this role, saying:
"Everything fell the way it should have, and Jeff is perfectly cast and he will be so entertaining in the part of Herman. Sheri is so delightful as well. I actually auditioned years ago for the part of Herman in one of the TV movies that didn't turn out so well. It just wasn't meant to be. I'm glad I didn't land the role of Herman, and I'm not trying to talk down about that particular project but it's not what Rob's film will be.
"After it sank in (that he had been cast as The Count), I had the epiphany that I'd been preparing for this role my whole life. I'm in this movie because it's God's will, it's where he wants me to be. I created a character when I was 12 years old and I named him 'The Count.' Rob told me the character in the script was named The Count. It's a funny vampire named The Count and when I was 12, I was a funny vampire named The Count."
The actor went on to praise Rob Zombie saying that no one could do a better job than what Zombie is currently doing with it:
"There's not a better person in Hollywood, or anywhere else on the planet, who should be making The Munsters movie other than Rob Zombie. It's gone through the hands of so many other people and I know Rob wasn't just looking for something to attach his coattails to. He's a huge fan of it and being a life-long fan approaching this material it really is as good as it gets. I know Sheri, and nobody works harder than Sheri Zombie. I've written a part for her in a movie I wrote and directed, as well as another film I co-wrote and co-directed, so that's what I think of her talent. I think she's terrific and I absolutely love working with her."
Roebuck then shares that he hopes audiences and fans will be entertained with what Zombie and his creative team will deliver:
"I really hope audiences walk away feeling entertained and laughing. That's all we really hope for making any movie, well, unless it's a drama. If all goes well and people really like, maybe we'll get the chance to do it again. I just hope people realize that they'll have a whole new version of The Munsters that can live and co-exist side-by-side with the original version of The Munsters. No one wants to replace it, we all love it so much. We just want to shine a spotlight on it with our approach which I think is the best way to look at it."
The film follows a family of benign monsters who relocate from Transylvania to the American suburbs. I’m not a big fan of Zombie’s film work, but I’m curious to see what Zombie is going to do with this in regards to the tone and story. He is obviously looking to capture and replicate the look and style of the original 1960s series.