Goosebumps Producers Unveil Their Approach on Creating a Modern Take on R.L. Stine’s Series

Summary

• The revamped Goosebumps series on Disney+ and Hulu follows five high schoolers uncovering their town’s mysteries and confronting their parents’ secrets, all connected to the haunting death of Harold Biddle.
• The show, led by directors Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller, features a talented cast including Zack Morris, Isa Briones, and Justin Long, who bring depth to their roles and challenge high school stereotypes.
• Executive producers Conor Welch and Pavun Shetty emphasize the importance of staying true to the nostalgic feeling of reading Goosebumps books, incorporating relatable issues and Easter eggs for die-hard fans while modernizing the narrative with a cohesive mystery.

A spine-chilling revamp of R.L. Stine’s iconic young adult horror series, Goosebumps, is making waves on both Disney+ and Hulu. This fresh adaptation follows five curious high schoolers unraveling their town’s mysteries and confronting harrowing truths about their parents, all rooted in the haunting demise of Harold Biddle three decades prior.

Under the creative visionaries Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller, the series boasts a star-studded cast including Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Miles McKenna, Ana Yi Puig, Will Price, Rachael Harris, and Justin Long. After its initial launch with five episodes, fans eagerly await the release of the remaining episodes each Friday.

In an interview with Screen Rant, executive producers Conor Welch and Pavun Shetty delved into their creative decisions. They highlighted their departure from the traditional anthology format, opting instead to intertwine elements from five of Stine’s hallmark tales. Welch and Shetty emphasize the significance of staying true to the essence of Goosebumps, ensuring the series resonates with both nostalgic fans and fresh eyes alike.

Shetty emphasized the importance of staying true to the nostalgic feeling of reading a Goosebumps book, which often felt like delving into something slightly mature for the reader’s age. While creating the show, they aimed to cater to both fans of the original series and a new, adult audience by incorporating relatable issues and featuring both high school characters and their parents. Their hope is to resonate with original readers and introduce new fans to the books. Welch expressed the immense pressure of adapting the beloved Goosebumps series, given its enduring popularity and R.L. Stine’s involvement. To modernize the narrative, they moved away from the anthology format, using five popular books as starting points for main characters and intertwining their stories in a cohesive mystery that engages viewers from start to finish.

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Shetty highlighted that they incorporated numerous Goosebumps Easter eggs into the series, choosing iconic elements like Slappy and other references that die-hard fans would recognize. Their primary focus was selecting stories that deeply affected the characters’ personal challenges, using the expansive Goosebumps collection to sprinkle in familiar elements at suitable moments. Welch praised the series’ cast, emphasizing their fresh faces and their ability to bring unexpected depth to their roles, challenging traditional high school stereotypes. With actors like Zack Morris portraying multi-dimensional characters, the cast showcased incredible chemistry that added layers to the narrative not initially present in the script.

Pavun Shetty credited Justin Long‘s exceptional versatility, capable of seamlessly transitioning between comedy and horror, which was crucial for the Goosebumps series. Having worked with him before and appreciating his aptitude for both physical humor and understanding the source material, Shetty was thrilled to have Long onboard. Long’s chameleon-like ability allows him to be both lovable and detestable depending on his role. Shetty, having worked with him on “New Girl,” praised Long’s talent in effortlessly transitioning between comedy and horror, an essential attribute for the Goosebumps series.

Long excels in physical humor and fully embraced his challenging role in the series, enhancing it with his familiarity with the Goosebumps books. Conor Welch added that blending horror and comedy was pivotal, and it was crucial that all actors, including those like Rachael Harris and Rob Huebel, could effortlessly switch between humor and profound emotion.

Goosebumps’ first six episodes are now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

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