Bryan Fuller talks about 'Munsters' reboot at Comic-Con

Fans of Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls and Pushing Daisies packed a small room at Comic-Con Saturday to hear Creator Bryan Fuller talk about his Munsters reboot and the Hannibal Lecter project he has in the works for NBC.

The panel began with a 4-minute sneak peek of Mockingbird Lane, the reboot of the classic black and white series that NBC ordered to pilot as a possible midseason show. It begins with a pack of scouts sitting around an evening fire in the forest, when something evil this way comes: A big black wolf jumps into the fray and takes out most of the little fellers. At daybreak, eight are left with the counselor, trembling in the car, when a little naked boy pops out of the bushes.

That’s Mason Cook, the new Eddie Munster!

The rest of the clip featured quick intros of the cast, including Jerry O’Connell as Herman (sans the little knobs coming out of his neck) and a very sexy Portia de Rossi (who totally works the long, tight dresses). But the real breakout is Eddie Izzard as a blood-sucking grandpa who sports long, crimson nails.

“Herman is a zombie living in a constant state of decay with a woman who doesn’t age,” explained Fuller, who is a huge fan of the original series. “We want this to look like Hitchcock directing a Harry Potter film. We want to do something different that would change perceptions about what you would think about a Munsters remake.

“The Munsters’ freak was external but everything inside of them was relatable,” Fuller added about the show’s enduring quality. “What I love about that is that it buys us so much fun on how we can tell these stories. We will be very adventurous.”

And how: Fuller’s goal is to delve into universal monster mythology and introduce more creatures in his reboot. “I want to see the Invisible Man and the creator from the Black Lagoon visit the show,” Fuller said. But he’ll bring back familiar features from the Munsters, like Spot and his “home” underneath the staircase, as well as “Dragula” the family car. He even plans to pay homage to the original series by casting Butch Patrick, the original Eddie, as a scout leader. (Patrick, who still looks Eddie-ish, give or take about four decades, was at the panel to introduce the clip).

Fuller also talked about Hannibal, another reboot he’s working on for NBC that will star Hugh Dancy as Det. Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. (The drama, which Fuller described as an “elegant horror movie” for primetime, has been picked up for 13 episodes). Fuller promised the first season is about the “bromance” between Graham and Lecter while the second is about their “horrible breakout.” By season four, viewers will see “Red Dragon.”

To prepare for a drama that features a cannibal, Fuller said he interviewed a culinary expert about how to prepare human body parts for consumption. “There are a lot of great ideas on how to cook people,” said Fuller, who promised to release the recipes they use online. Goodness.

For more:

How Bryan Fuller will reinvent ‘Hannibal’

Jerry O’Connell cast in ‘Mockingbird Lane’

‘Munsters’ reboot: Meet Herman’s wife Lily!