‘Munsters' Reboot, ‘Car Wash' Series in Development at Universal Studio Group
‘Munsters' Reboot, ‘Car Wash' Series in Development at Universal Studio Group
A reboot of "The Munsters" and a series adaptation of the 1976 Universal Pictures comedy "Car Wash" are among the projects Universal Studio Group (USG) currently has in development, Variety has learned. In addition, Universal International Studios (UIS) and Carnival Films are developing a drama series about a newlywed woman accused of murdering her husband on their honeymoon.
The "Munsters" reboot is currently titled "1313," a reference to the fictional family of monsters' address at 1313 Mockingbird Lane. It is not currently set up at any network or streaming service.
The new show is described as a horror series that "lives and breathes within the Universal Monsterverse," per the official logline. The project was developed by James Wan, Lindsey Anderson Beer, and Ingrid Bisu. Anderson Beer will serve as showrunner and executive producer via Lab Brew, with Wan, Michael Clear, and Rob Hackett executive producing via Atomic Monster. Bisu will be a co-executive producer. UCP will produce.
"The Munsters" originally aired on CBS for 70 episodes between 1964 and 1966 and starred Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, and Pat Priest. Beverly Owen briefly appeared in the series as Marion before Priest took over the role for the remainder of the run. There have been multiple revivals and reboots of the series since, including films, an animated series, and more. Most recently, NBC commissioned the pilot "Mockingbird Lane" that ultimately aired as a Halloween special in 2012 but was not picked up to series.
The "Car Wash" series is in the works at NBC. The logline states the show is set in Washington, DC, whereas the film took place in Los Angeles. It will focus on "an immigrant family's generational and cultural clashes between father and son and their eclectic group of employees."
Opey Olagbaju serves as writer and executive producer, with Malcolm D. Lee and Dominique Telson executive producing under their Blackmaled Productions banner. Michael Allen will co-produce. Universal Television, where Blackmaled is under a first-look deal, will produce.
The cast for "Car Wash" included Richard Pryor, Franklyn Ajaye, Bill Duke, The Pointer Sisters, George Carlin, and Garrett Morris. The film was a hit, grossing $14 million at the box office against a reported budget of $2 million. The soundtrack to the film went on to overshadow it, as it featured hit songs like "Car Wash," "I Wanna Get Next to You," and "I'm Going Down." "Car Wash" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the album won the Grammy for best score soundtrack.
Finally, the UIS/Carnival Films project is titled "Honeymoon." According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, UIS won the rights to the show in a competitive situation. It is also not currently set up at at network or streaming service.
The logline states, "A newlywed woman finds herself in the spotlight when her husband is murdered on their honeymoon in Morocco just days after their wedding. What starts as an investigation into a murder becomes trial-by-media as her private life is dissected by the police, press and public. But is she a grieving woman or a murderer?"
Fred Fernandez Armesto and Adam Gyngell are writers and executive producers on the series. Nigel Marchant and Gareth Neame executive produce for Carnival Films.
The development news comes as USG has over 75 current series on its slate, including "Ted" at Peacock, the "FBI" franchise at CBS and the "One Chicago" and "Law & Order" shows at NBC. USG also has the pilots "Grosse Pointe Garden Society" and "Suits: LA" in contention at NBC.
"We are very intentional about the stories we are telling, and there is always going to be a market for authentic, compelling and entertaining television," said USG chairman Pearlena Igbokwe in a statement.
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