A Monster Mash movie, based on the hit Halloween song, is finally in the works after 63 years. The song is by Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt Kickers, who co-wrote the lyrics with Lenny Capizzi. It was originally released in 1962 and has become a perennial favorite each Halloween.
Now, according to Deadline, “Monster Mash” is being adapted into an animated movie at Miramax. The studio’s CEO, Jonathan Glickman, known for successful spooky projects like Netflix’s Wednesday, the platform’s second most-watched series, and MGM’s animated Addams Family movies, secured the rights to the song from Reservoir and Capizzi Music Co. Glickman shared the following statement addressing the news:
For more than 60 years, nothing has said Halloween quite like the “Monster Mash.” We’re thrilled to be entrusted by the Pickett and Capizzi families and to be partnering with Reservoir Media to bring this iconic song to life as an animated musical for all audiences. It’s a project that celebrates the fun and spirit of the original — and should become a perennial “graveyard smash” for years to come.
Performed by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, who co-wrote the song with Lenny Capizzi, Monster Mash is widely regarded as one of the most popular Halloween songs of all time. Over the decades, the song has repeatedly returned to the charts each Halloween season and has been streamed over 500 million times worldwide.
“Monster Mash” was featured on a full-length album titled The Original Monster Mash, which includes several other monster-themed songs.
The lyrics of “Monster Mash” naturally lend themselves to a film adaptation. Sung from the perspective of a mad scientist, the song tells how his monster rises one night to perform a new dance inspired by the early-’60s Mashed Potato craze. The dance quickly becomes “the hit of the land” when the scientist hosts a party attended by other iconic monsters, including Wolfman, Igor, Mummy, Dracula, and his son, as well as the vocal group The Crypt-Kicker Five.
There’s never been a better time for spooky family films at the box office. Past successes include the animated Addams Family films, Sony’s animated Hotel Transylvania movies, and Goosebumps. If it’s anything like the hit Halloween song, Miramax’s animated Monster Mash movie should become a perennial graveyard smash for years to come.