Calling all millennials, it’s time to take a trip down memory lane and revisit your favorite young adult horror literary franchise. Between 1992-1997 writer R.L. Stein penned over sixty books in the Goosebumps series. In 1995, a Goosebumps television series debuted and ran through 1998; it has since gone on to be considered one of the best TV anthology series of all time. The popular series finally received a big screen film in 2015 that starred Jack Black as the author, R.L. Stein, himself. The various live action adaptations covered nearly all the most popular stories in the series and an upcoming reboot on Disney+ starring Justin Long is sure to cover some of the same tales, and R.L. Stein himself has teased more live action adaptations of his works. With a Goosebumps resurgence seemingly on the way, we thought it would be scary good time to look at what Goosebumps stories need a modern day live adaptation. Viewer beware, you’re in for a scare…
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6 The Curse of Camp Cold Lake
The Curse of Camp Cold Lake tells the story of Sarah, who is having a hard time fitting in and enjoying her summer at Camp Cold Lake. Her bunkmates seem to not like her, and she is not particularly interested in participating in the water-based sports the camp has to offer. Sarah comes up with a plan to garner sympathy from her fellow campers and decides she will pretend to drown. Through this act, Sarah begins seeing a ghost named Della who will stop at nothing to make Sarah her friend…permanently. A great template for a story like this is the Netflix adaptation of another Stein property, one of the best trilogies of the past 30 years. With the middle film taking place at a summer camp, the template is there for a successful live action version of Camp Cold Lake.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
5 A Night in Terror Tower
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One of the best adaptations to come out of the original series is based on A Night in Terror Tower, and focuses on a brother and sister who find themselves back in time and at the mercy of a deadly King and executioner in old London. The magical and mythical elements in the story with modern day effects and CG could make for a compelling modern day take on the classic story.
4 Legend of the Lost Legend
Legend of the Lost Legend is one of the fantasy epics featured throughout the Goosebumps series and follows two siblings as they join their father to the country of Brovania to seek out an ancient manuscript. A whirlwind fantasy adventure is perfect for a modern day live action adaptation.
3 One Day at Horrorland
One of the most popular books from the entire series is One Day at Horrorland, a story that features a family’s unexpected trip to HorrorLand theme park run by real life monsters. After a few horrific rides and terrifying experiences, the family learns they may never leave HorrorLand alive. One Day at Horrorland is a scary, yet fun take on the amusement park and one we would love to see on screen in our modern age.
2 Attack of the Mutant
Superheroes have completely taken over our pop and movie culture the last two decades, and of course Goosebumps has its own comic book tale to contribute to the discourse. Attack of the Mutant is about an avid comic collector who falls into the world of The Masked Mutant, the world’s deadliest super villain. A unique take on your everyday comic book story that would make for a colorful and fun live-action take.
1 The Haunted Mask
For a lot of people, the first image that comes to mind when Goosebumps is mentioned is the iconic cover of The Haunted Mask. In what could be the best book in the series, and certainly one of the most popular and well reviewed books. The Haunted Mask tells the tale of Carly Beth who after buying a scary Halloween mask at a local costume shop, quickly falls victim to the strange powers the mask possesses as it becomes a part of her, changing her personality and behavior. The Haunted Mask is also one of the Goosebumps books that provides a dose of wisdom even adults could take away. A modern day set of live adaptations for Goosebumps just simply wouldn’t be complete without The Haunted Mask.
