R.L. Stine‘s best-selling children’s horror book series Goosebumps was turned into a network TV swho at the height of its popularity in the 1990s. More recently, the books became a feature film franchise, using a variety of monsters and elements from the extensive roster of horror stories. Now the book series is heading back to the small screen with Sony Pictures Television and film franchise producer Neal H. Moritz teaming up with Scholastic Entertainment for a Goosebumps TV series reboot.
Deadline has news on the Goosebumps TV series reboot that will again be based on R.L. Stine’s book series. Here’s an official statement from Iole Lucchese, Scholastic Entertainment President and Chief Strategy Officer, on the latest collaboration for Goosebumps:
“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.”
In its heyday, Goosebumps was one of the most popular book series for kids. In grade school, the Scholastic book order flyer was the talk of my classroom whenever a new Goosebumps book was inside it for pre-order. Since the internet wasn’t around in those days to announce the arrival of a new book, it was always a big surprise. There are over 350 million English-language Goosebumps books in print, not to mention the international editions which have been translated into 32 languages. So this new series has the potential to be a global sensation.
As for how the TV series will operate this time, that’s not specifically mentioned. The original Goosebumps series, which was a #1 show in the ratings for four consecutive seasons in the 1990s, was an anthology show where each episode adapted one of the stories from the books. They took some liberties in order to fit the story into the half-hour time slot, which ruined some of the books and worked perfectly well for others, but it was mostly a satisfying adaptation for Goosebumps fans. Will the new series also be an anthology show, or will there be some kind of narrative that ties multiple stories together like the feature films?
Producer Neal H. Moritz isn’t giving anything away for the time being, but he’s thrilled to keep Goosebumps alive with a new TV series, saying in a statement:
“I loved making the Goosebumps movies and can’t wait to bring even more of R. L. Stine’s incredible stories to life through a high-end television series that speaks to both adults and kids alike.”
If you’re curious to revisit the original Goosebumps TV series, you can currently find it on Netflix.
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