Book adaptations haven’t always faired well on the silver screen, with most canceled after only a few seasons—however, Disney’s Goosebumps, based on the horror thriller by R.L. Stine, is different. This series’ success is mainly due to its popular source material. The Goosebumps books are part of modern pop culture, with over 60 original books published and millions of readers worldwide.
The 10-episode series premiered on Disney + and was met with a warm welcome by fans of the books. Readers familiar with the “Night of the Living Dummy” books will likely recognize the series’ cover. But unlike the books, this live-action series follows a group of high school students with the main story around a young black football player who is the first to be affected by the horrors in their small town. Aside from a relatable cast, there are plenty of reasons that make this take on the Goosebumps books a must-watch!
The Talented Cast of Goosebumps Made The Series Worth Watching
Most Goosebumps books are focused on middle schoolers, which allows younger readers to enjoy the thrill of the books. However, creator Letterman decided it was best to age up the main characters for the TV series. Aging them up would allow a larger audience to interact and enjoy the show. While viewers can understand his reasoning, shows like Stranger Things focused mainly on young kids and still managed to draw in viewers of all ages in the thriller and horror genre.
Focusing on high school characters allowed production to increase the stakes and go hard on the horror aspect of the film. Being a teenager in high school also opens up more story arcs like childhood friendships, romantic relationships, jealousy, and the pressure of the future, which makes the show more relatable. The talented cast features Zack Morris as the lead star, Isaiah, Ana Yi Puig as Isabella, Will Price as Lucas, Miles McKenna as James, Isa Brioines as Margot, Justin Long as Mr. Bratt, Racheal Harris as Nora and Rob Huebel as Colin. These kids may want to focus on their teenage drama, but first, they must investigate what secret their parents are hiding and what it has to do with a murder that took place three decades ago.
The Goosebumps Writers Perfectly Adapted the Books
Adapting a beloved novel series is an uphill task, so imagine bringing a unique string of books like Goosebumps to the small screen and appealing to millions of fans while still staying faithful to the source material. This was the task of Rob Letterman, who created this Disney+ series and directed the 2015 film Goosebumps. The Goosebumps franchise has over 200 books since the first book was published in the 90s.
The first book led to the first anthology, the 1995 Goosebumps series, that focused on the same characters. The 2023 series, however, blends the horror and comedic aspects of the books, which works perfectly to keep viewers hooked. The series starts slow in the first two episodes. But by the third episode, viewers want to know what will happen next and who’s behind all these horrific things in their once-quiet town. Each episode features a different character going through a different horror based on one book, from scary clones who want to steal your body to trolls and scrapbooks that will trap anyone in its pages. By the end of the fifth episode, everything starts to make sense, and the main characters are forced to come together to save their town from being taken over by an immortal being who wants to unleash all the monsters in the world.
From the array of books available, production settled on five books that will be the first season’s primary focus. These include “Night of the Living Dummy” “Go Eat Worms!” The Cuckoo Clock of Doom, “The Haunted Mask,” and “Say Cheese and Die”. The series is set in the present with several flashbacks that will hit the nostalgia button just right.
R. L. Stine Was Involved in Making The Goosebumps Series
TV shows like Reacher, Game of Thrones, and House of the Dragon have proven that having the author involved in adapting their books to the screen is one of the best recipes for creating a masterpiece. Stine was also involved in the 2015 Goosebumps and had a cameo. Stine was closely involved and signed off on the series. Letterman spoke to him during the early stages of the series, and he provided some notes that helped with the final product.