Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Andrew Sanford | News | January 21, 2026
Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell’s TV show was my version of Vaudeville when I was younger. The pair were constantly roped into larger-than-life scenarios filled with disguises, slapstick, and laughs. Despite their young ages, the two were made for this type of comedy. They excelled at it so thoroughly that it seemed like the show (and others like it) would be the future for these hilarious actors. While that certainly was the case to an extent, it never exploded the way I might have hoped.
It’s not that the two haven’t been working. Kenan, famously, has become SNL’s longest-running cast member. That show has suited him and his talents pretty perfectly. That said, he’s tried to venture outside of Studio 8H several times with middling results. Kel, on the other hand, has worked consistently, but rarely on anything that broke out into the mainstream. Regardless, for someone who was once rumored to be dead, he’s doing well for himself.
The two actors have reteamed off and on in the years since their show ended, and even made a sequel to their movie, Good Burger, that definitely exists. Still, it didn’t light people’s nostalgia bones on fire as I’m sure they hoped, so they went back to the drawing board and have come up with what I consider to be one of the best ideas I have heard in some time. Kenan and Kel are going to team up against a Frankenstein monster.
Following in the steps of Abbott and Costello, the All That duo will star in a movie that finds them playing delivery drivers who, while making what they think is a standard drop off, end up face-to-face with a Frankenstein monster. Hook it to my veins. Those Abbott and Costello movies hold up great, and this is Kenan and Kel’s chance to make something that has a broader appeal and stronger staying power. This isn’t a play on nostalgia; this is using these two’s talents to the fullest.
The most interesting wrinkle right now is that there isn’t any studio attached. That should give the duo more freedom, but the Frankenstein monster they meet up with, presumably, won’t be the green-faced variety with bolts in its neck. It’s not like a lot is riding on the monster’s design, and people likely won’t disregard the film if the monster doesn’t have a more traditional look. That said, that design works because it is simple, and the film may have the challenge of creating a creature from scratch. Or maybe they can get Jacob Elordi to cameo?
In a statement reported by Deadline, Kenan said, “Kel and I have always loved finding new ways to work together, and this project felt like the perfect mix of nostalgia, comedy, and something completely unexpected. We’re excited to bring a fresh take on a classic monster story and have some fun doing it.” Kel echoed that sentiment, saying, “Coming back together always feels natural, and this lets us tap into everything people love about our dynamic while trying something totally new. It’s funny, it’s scary, and it’s a great ride.”
Kel hits on what I think is the most exciting about this. Yes, it is an older idea, but this is new territory for these two. It feels like it should have been the logical next step for them years ago. There’s something about it that feels like they are righting the ship. They’re reuniting, not just to relive their glory days, but to create new ones. Count me in!
