Sony has locked in Goosebumps 2 in early 2018. The horror-filled family sequel will arrive in theaters on January 26th, 2018, with much of the original creative team remaining in place. Director Rob Letterman will be back, with Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz returning as producers. Screenwriter Darren Lemke will once again be penning this family friendly terror tale, drawing inspiration from the works of Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine.
Star Jack Black has not yet signed on to reprise his fictional take on Stine from the first film, but is expected to do so soon. There’s no word on if any of the teen actors are expected back or what the specific plot of the follow-up will be. Obviously production is slated to begin later this year, so this lack of details will change in the coming months.
The 2015 original grossed over $150 million worldwide off of a budget of $58 million, making it a decent hit for Sony. A sequel being greenlit came as little surprise. I rather liked the film, likening it to a ’90s nostalgia-soaked kid’s version of In the Mouth of Madness, with a dash of Cabin In The Woods‘ finale. Now that they’ve been emboldened by some success, I’m insanely curious to see what Letterman and company will whip up in a sequel.
The fondly=remembered “Goosebumps” TV series was a bit beyond my time, but I read a great many of the books as a kid and their fun horror stylings still seem to resonate today. Given that we are a bit starved for horror-themed children’s entertainment these days, it’s nice to see a franchise of this type forming and thriving on a mid-budget level. I can only hope that this one continues that success and inspires other studios to take more of a risk on terror-tinged children’s fare. Outfits like Laika Entertainment (Coraline, ParaNorman) shouldn’t have to shoulder such a burden on their own anymore.
