Beloved ’90s stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell are reuniting for Kenan and Kel Meet Frankenstein, a new horror-comedy feature film that will likely lean heavily on nostalgia. They most recently worked together in 2023’s Good Burger 2, a sequel to their 1997 cult classic, which itself was based on their sketches from Nickelodeon’s All That.
With Frankenstein, however, Kenan and Kel are reimagining a Golden Age hit from 1948.
Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson in the Good Burger 2 trailer – Paramount Plus, YouTube
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According to Variety, the official logline describes the film as following “two delivery drivers whose routine drop-off takes a terrifying turn when they arrive at a creepy, out-of-place castle and accidentally awaken Frankenstein’s monster—turning an ordinary night into a fight for survival.”
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell are developing a horror comedy film titled ‘KENAN & KEL MEET FRANKENSTEIN’
The film follows 2 delivery drivers whose routine drop-off takes a terrifying turn when they arrive at a castle and accidentally awaken Frankenstein’s monster pic.twitter.com/QQuXh5zn0I
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 21, 2026
Film buffs will recognize that as the plot of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. While the film probably won’t be a direct modern-day remake, it’s clearly embracing the same comedic framework and straight-man vs. clown dynamic.
Kenan and Kel Discuss the Movie
Kenan and Kel announced Frankenstein on the Amazon sports talk show Good Sports, which Thompson co-hosts with Kevin Hart, with Mitchell filling in during the episode. At the end of the episode, they were joined by Frankenstein (or, more accurately, the Frankenstein monster). But this won’t be the first time Kenan and Kel have tackled a horror-comedy. In 2000, they starred in the made-for-TV movie Two Heads Are Better Than None.
The new movie is scheduled to shoot this summer, with a screenplay written by Jonah Feingold. Thompson and John Ryan Jr.’s Artists for Artists will co-produce. Ryan Jr. described the concept as “Shaun of the Dead meets Scooby-Doo,” while Thompson said in a statement that the project felt like “the perfect mix of nostalgia, comedy, and something completely unexpected.”
A screenshot from Scooby Doo – Tubi
Mitchell added, “Coming back together always feels natural, and this lets us tap into everything people love about our dynamic while trying something totally new.” With Frankenstein, their dynamic won’t just be pitted against a legendary monster—Kenan and Kel will also attempt to fill the shoes of two comedy icons.
Following in Legendary Footsteps
Like Kenan and Kel, by the time Bud Abbott and Lou Costello met Frankenstein they were already an established comedy duo.
Best known for their “Who’s on First?” routine, Abbott and Costello signed a movie deal with Universal in 1940. The 1948 film brought them together with several of Universal Studios‘ famous movie monsters, which included Lon Chaney Jr.’s Wolf Man and Béla Lugosi’s Dracula. It became one of Universal’s top films of the year at the box office, and launched a series of Abbott and Costello Meet… films.
Abbott and Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) – Movieclips, YouTube
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In 2001, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was added to the National Film Registry for its cultural and historical significance, and it consistently ranks among the funniest films of all time. Though never directly remade, it established the template for all the monster mashup movies that followed, including The Monster Squad (1987) and Van Helsing (2004).
While Kenan and Kel Meet Frankenstein may not reach the same iconic status, it still has a chance to carry the spirit of the original into a new era. More importantly, it could introduce a new generation to both classic monster movies and the timeless appeal of Abbott and Costello’s masterpiece.
What do you think about Kenan and Kel’s next movie? Sound off in the comments!
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