Monsters Cereals Reveals Jim Henson Puppet Packaging for 55th Anniversary

Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry are returning to cereal aisles with a collectible Halloween twist.

General Mills announced that its Monsters Cereals are coming back nationwide later this summer with new limited-edition packaging featuring puppet versions of the characters created by The Jim Henson Company. The release marks the 55th anniversary of Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry.

The Jim Henson Company’s Creature Shop first reimagined the Monsters as puppets last year. General Mills is bringing that collaboration back for 2026 with fresh packaging designs that once again put the puppet versions of the characters on the boxes.

Monsters Cereals have long been a seasonal Halloween tradition, but the boxes themselves have also become part of the collecting culture around the brand. General Mills noted that the Monsters have grown from cereal mascots into sought-after collectibles over the years.

This year’s release also includes a special limited-edition fuzzy Count Chocula cereal box. General Mills said the box is designed to replicate the fleece-like texture of the puppets. It will be available exclusively on Walmart.com for $7.76 beginning October 1.

That fuzzy Count Chocula box could become the standout collectible from the 55th anniversary release. Special cereal boxes already have a history of drawing attention from food collectors, pop culture collectors and Halloween fans. Adding a tactile puppet-inspired texture gives the box a stronger novelty angle than a standard seasonal package.

The regular limited-edition Monsters Cereals collection will include Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry boxes with the new Jim Henson puppet-themed artwork. General Mills said the collection will be available at retailers nationwide later this month.

The collaboration also includes a creative element for fans. According to The Jim Henson Company, this year’s boxes will give cereal and Henson fans a chance to transform each cereal box into its own Monster puppet. That makes the packaging more interactive and gives collectors another reason to keep an unopened box or pick up extras.

The Monsters Cereals line has always lived at the intersection of food, nostalgia and Halloween collecting. The characters are tied to decades of seasonal grocery displays, commercials and limited-time packaging. With the 55th anniversary release, General Mills is leaning directly into that history.