Monster High’s live-action movie is a freaky, fang-tastic musical

Get ready ghouls — Monster High is back with a live action movie that’ll fulfill all your spoopy dreams.

New trailer shows some of our favorite characters in the Nickolodeon film. Frankie Stein seems to be using they/them pronouns. Monster High is a fantastic, (ha!) place. It’s garish and over-the-top, with bright makeup and costumes and we wouldn’t want it any other way. (Seriously — Fate: A Winx SagaNotes on what a live-action animated magical girl cartoon should look like

Monster High, Mattel’s new line of toys, movies and web series, was launched in 2010. It is based upon a doll collection that first appeared in 2010, and lasted for eight years. Every doll was inspired by a traditional monster archetype. However, they were more trendy and stylish than the others. These dolls were just as stylish as Barbies or Bratz dolls but had a playful edge that turned scary, frightening monsters into chic fashion.

The three central characters, for instance — Clawdeen, Frankie, and Draculaura — were based on a werewolf, Frankenstein’s monster, and Dracula. Toys were not restricted to the Phantom of the Opera’s rockabilly girl Operetta and Amanita nightshade who was a Corpse Flower-born plant monster. The lore is pretty zany and all over the place, but that’s what made Monster High super special.

A web series was created that ran between 2010 and 2015. Mattel launched an Ever After High spin-off line of toys that followed children inspired by fairy tale characters. Mattel had to restart the doll and web series lines in 2016 due to declining sales. The new line was targeted at younger audiences. That didn’t work out and the line was discontinued in 2018 — however, in 2020 Mattel relaunched Monster High with some collector edition dolls and the announcement of this movie, as well as a new animated series.

Monster High: The MovieNickelodeon & Paramount Plus will broadcast the special on October 6, right in time to celebrate Halloween.