Marilyn Munster is heading back to 1313 Mockingbird Lane. After announcing a slew of cast members for The Munsters, an upcoming reboot film based on the original TV series of the same name, Rob Zombie has now finally confirmed that original series star Pat Priest has joined the cast. Priest replaced original Marilyn Munster actress Beverly Owen after the show's first 13 episodes and remained in the role throughout the rest of the sitcom's 70-episode run.
Taking to Instagram, Zombie posted a screenshot of Priest in the intro of the original Munsters series. He verifies that she is in fact in the film, confirming the chatter there had been that Priest would come in for a special appearance. He added in the caption, "So many of you have been asking…. 'What about Marilyn?' Well, here she is! PAT PRIEST is now officially part of the new Munsters movie. For once the rumors are true."
This is a curious announcement, as Zombie does not explicitly say who Priest is playing in the film. At the same time, he seems to suggest that this is the answer to everyone asking if Marilyn Munster will be in the reboot. Does this mean Priest will be reprising her role as Marilyn, reimagining the character as a few decades older than she was in the original sitcom?
If that's true, that may also explain why Zombie has not officially revealed any information about Eddie Munster's casting. Zombie is friends with original Eddie actor Butch Patrick, who recently teased that the film will have an epic runtime. Patrick had teased his involvement in the film in a 2021 interview with Scifi.Radio, so it seems likely he will be making an appearance of some sort in the movie as well. Could it be that he'll be back as an older Eddie Munster alongside Priest's Marilyn?
"Yes, I have thoughts on it. I have really good thoughts on it," Patrick said about the film. "I’m very excited and I’m very happy! I think he’s the guy for the job. He’s a huge fan of the show, he’s a great filmmaker and a great musician. So, I think he’ll do it justice. I think people are worried and concerned for no reason, because he is a professional. I’ve seen some of the artwork and I feel confident the film is going to be great!"
He added, "There’s a lot going on there I cannot discuss, but there will be a little surprise for fans. There will be a small Butch Patrick presence in the movie."
Rob Zombie Brings Back Original Munsters Stars
Rob Zombie seems to enjoy providing one small update at a time throughout this project. Every cast member had their own announcement after Zombie first unveiled the three main stars: Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman Munster, Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily, and Dan Roebuck as Grandpa.
Along with Pat Priest and likely Butch Patrick, the film also features Richard Brake, Jorge Garcia, Cassandra Peterson, Tomas Boykin, Jeremy Wheeler, Catherine Schell, Jorge Garcia, Dee Wallace, and Sylvester McCoy.
The Munsters doesn't have an official release date but it is expected to premiere in theaters and on Peacock sometime in 2022. That would likely be closer to the end of the year with the film still shooting in Budapest.