Disney+ and Hulu’s ‘Goosebumps’ Brings A Unique New Scare To R.L. Stine’s Legacy

For many horror lovers, the inception came from childhood. Whether it was watching “Halloween” (1978) and getting spooked by Michael Myers or having a fear of showers because of Norman Bates in “Psycho” (1960). For me, it was Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark book trilogy and R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books plus the television series the books were adapted into. So when I heard an updated Goosebumps series was coming to Disney+ and Hulu I had some apprehensions, but I’m glad to say that after giving the show two tries I’m fully on board to see where this series can go.

Developed for television by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller, the first five episodes of Goosebumps premiered on Friday, October 13. The series takes some of R.L. Stine’s most popular books and sets them in the fictional town of Port Lawrence. In the show, high schoolers Isaiah (Zack Morris), Margot (Isa Briones), James (Miles McKenna), Isabella (Ana Yi Puig), and Lucas (Will Price) band together when they stumble upon items cursed by an incident that killed teen Harold Biddle (Ben Cockell) decades ago and soon discover their parents’ involvement. Rachel Harris, Justin Long, Rob Huebel, Leonard Roberts, Lexa Doig, and Rhinnan Payne also play key characters in Goosebumps.

(L-R) Zack Morris as Isaiah, Ana Yi Puig as Isabella, Miles McKenna as James, Will Price as Lucas, and Isa Briones as Margot in “Goosebumps.” Photo: Disney+/Hulu

“Say Cheese and Die!,” “The Haunted Mask,” “The Cuckoo Clock of Doom,” “Go Eat Worms,” and “Reader Beware” were the titles of the batch of episodes released last Friday. All but one are actual R.L. Stine book titles and were episodes in the 1995-1998 Goosebumps series. “Reader Beware” however is a play on the infamous show catchphrase “Viewer, Beware. You’re In For A Scare!”

What works well with this updated version of Goosebumps is the anthology format. While viewers are getting individual stories based on the titles told through the different characters they all connect back to events that happened during a Halloween party in episode one and what happened in the town decades ago. I’m not sure how this will continue to happen since each of the main characters had a featured episode already, but I’m curious to see how the other book titles will be interpreted. There are still “Night of the Living Dummy,” “You Can’t Scare Me” and “Horrorland” episodes coming. If this show gets renewed I would love to see a new group of characters in a different location following the American Horror Story format but with more of R.L. Stine’s work being adapted.

Ana Yi Puig as Isabella in “Goosebumps.” Photo: Disney+/Hulu

Now this show is not scary in the slightest, but I don’t think the original show was either. There are creepy moments and some shockers, but it’s more entertaining and clever how the writers took the old concepts and updated them. It’s very evident in episode 2 “The Haunted Mask,” which was my favorite episode in the bunch and in my top 5 in the original.

Miles McKenna as James in “Goosebumps.” Photo: Disney+/Hulu

The cast is also another reason why this show works. During my first viewing, I was a bit annoyed by the dialogue and stopped the show midway, but I have a thing about finishing shows or movies I start so they won’t stay queued up so I had to continue. Going back in I started to like these characters and the dynamics they were beginning to form. Miles McKenna and Ana Yi Puig characters were my favorite by the end of the five episodes and got some of the biggest chuckles from me. I’m invested in knowing what’s going to happen to them so I’ll be tuned in every week. Goosebumps may not give 90s vibes, but it’s one of the rare remakes that can make a 90s kid proud.

New episodes of Goosebumps stream on Fridays on Disney+ and Hulu through November 17.

Have you watched the new Goosebumps yet? Are you a fan of the updated version or do you prefer the original? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Photo: Disney+/Hulu