Out actress Portia de Rossi is about to become mama Munster. The actress has been cast as Lily Munter in the NBC reboot of the monstrous ’60s series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the former Better Off Ted and Arrested Development star and famous wife of Ellen DeGeneres will play the vampire matriarch of the Munster clan. Jerry O’Connell will play her Frankenstein husband, Herman Munster. Eddie Izzard will play Grandpa Munster.
The remake, which also has the new name Mockingbird Lane, is from the fanciful mind of Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls creator Bryan Fuller. It also has X-Men and Superman Returns director Bryan Singer is set to direct.
The project was initially slated to go on air this coming fall season, but that has been pushed back to summer 2013. The reboot is also rebooting its concept, according to TVLine.com, going from a comedy to a “visually spectacular one hour drama.” The series will now explore the backstories of the Munsters and how they got to their 1313 Mockingbird Lane. I’m thrilled that de Rossi has landed a new, high-profile role. And I’m thrilled to have the man who gave us Jaye Tyler and Olive Snook at the helm of another series. So even though I’m more of an Addams Family girl myself, I’ll happily make a little room on my TV schedule for those magnificent Munsters once the show airs next summer.
