The thrills from your childhood is a getting another chance at the live-action small screen treatment. It has been announced that a Goosebumps TV series based on R.L. Stine’s bestselling books is in the works.
Scholastic Entertainment, the media division of Scholastic, is teaming with Neal H. Moritz, producer of the feature film versions of the books GOOSEBUMPS & GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN. Iole Lucchese., Scholastic Entertainment President and Chief Strategy Officer, has this to say about the new series:
"Goosebumps has been keeping kids and families on the edge of their seats for nearly 30 years and we’re very excited to partner with Sony Pictures Television and Neal H. Moritz to bring the enduring brand to life in a fresh new way for today’s generation. From the world-famous book series to a full-scale licensing program and even live-action movies starring Jack Black, Goosebumps remains wildly popular and we look forward to presenting new adventures to give fans even more Goosebumps."
No word on the exact route the new show will take but it could be similar to the original anthology series that aired during the 90s and rated #1 for five consecutive seasons during its run.That show was an anthology of stories about children finding themselves in creepy and unusual situations, typically involving supernatural elements that were based on the best-selling books, which has more than 350 million English-language books in print, plus international editions in 32 languages.
The popularity of Goosebumps translated over to the big screen with the release of GOOSEBUMPS, starring Jack Black, back in 2015. That film grossed $80 million domestically and $158.2 million worldwide and was followed by a sequel, GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN which went on to gross $46 million at domestic box office and $93.3 million globally.
I definitely collected Goosebumps books as a child and was a frequent viewer of the original television series. I thought the film version, at last the first movie, was decent enough, while I never took the time to watch the sequel. There is definitely potential to make this good, as long as they stick to R.L. Stine's book which should hold up for a new generation. BTW, the original TV series is available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu so give it a watch while you quarantine at home.
Are YOU interested in the new Goosebumps series?