The Goosebumps franchise has been impressively long-lasting, encompassing books, a well-loved television adaptation, and more recently, two movies. A new live-action show has been in the works for a year or so as well, and Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine has now given an update on how things are progressing. Thankfully, based on the author’s latest comments, it does appear that a fresh take on the popular horror favorite will be heading our way soon, pandemic-permitting, of course.
Replying to a fan question on Twitter, Stine had this to say:
We have a producer and a director signed for the new GB TV series. More news to come soon… https://t.co/1QbkXd0FW9
— R.L. Stine (@RL_Stine) March 2, 2021
This recent update comes almost a year after the official announcement that a new Goosebumps was moving forward, with COVID-19 presumably delaying progress for much of 2020. Scholastic Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television, and Neal H. Moritz’s production company are behind the program, with the latter also having been involved in the two films released so far.
While it’s as-yet unknown where Goosebumps will end up, we’d imagine the brand recognition for the property will make it an attractive option for networks and the major streamers. Still, the upcoming episodes will have a hard time living up the charm of the Canadian-American hit from the 1990s, which ran for 74 instalments, and is currently available on Netflix. Indeed, the online giant might be the most logical platform for the planned reboot, given that it already holds these rights.
We were certainly fans of the Goosebumps films from Moritz and co., which managed to capture the spirit of the novels within a feature-length story, while also being surprisingly scary for pictures ostensibly aimed at kids. Although the new series will almost certainly go back to an anthology format working from Stine’s plots, or tell fresh stories within the world he’s created, we’re looking forward to seeing how much the modern Goosebumps will reference its previous incarnations and characters.