Goosebumps Returns with Classic Humor & Grief Storyline

Over 30 years ago, R.L. Stine began publishing his Goosebumps children’s horror novels, capturing the imaginations of kids and young teens around the world. The books were first adapted for the screen as an anthology TV series in the ’90s, with each episode covering a different novel, before coming to theaters as a film directed by Rob Letterman (Shark Tale, Monsters vs. Aliens) in 2015.

Select Goosebumps themes and characters were able to be expanded upon with the Disney+ and Hulu Goosebumps series, which arrived in 2023 and followed one story throughout the first season. Letterman returned to the franchise to executive produce the series and was joined by Hilary Winston (Krapopolis) as showrunner.

Now, Goosebumps: The Vanishing, the second season of the new anthology, is set to arrive on January 10 with a brand-new spooky story and all-new characters, following as fraternal twins Devin and Cece discover a threat stirring in their home while adjusting to life with their recently divorced dad. As they explore the new threat, they become wrapped up in the tale of four teenagers who mysteriously disappeared in 1994.

Stine himself wasn’t involved much with season two, but the guidance he gave during season one carried over and his touch is still there, Letterman says. “Last season, he talked to the writers’ room and talked to us about the magic of Goosebumps. The first question he always gets is, What made it a phenomenon? He always says, ‘I have no idea! I think it’s this, but I don’t know.’ It’s really inspiring to have him share his perspective on it. It boils down to a couple of things that we stick with: core fear, universal fear, fear that translates to every human being no matter what age you are, flawed characters, no happy ending—hates that; you can’t do that—always have a twist.”

And “the balance of comedy and horror is really important to him, and it’s something we really dig,” Letterman adds. “It’s [about] finding that tone where it’s a grounded world and people are very scared, but you can also have light, funny moments within it.”

These lighter moments are woven throughout the storyline, but there are plenty of more serious messages as well. “Grief is a big part of this,” Winston explains. “I think all horror has bigger, deeper themes. Grief and loss and families dealing with that is at the core of this. It doesn’t mean there’s not tons of fun, but that’s the core of this season.”

“Last season, we leaned in pretty hard on ‘careful what you wish for,’ which is very classic Goosebumps, but this one is more about dealing with trauma and grief and letting go of that and facing up to it,” Letterman says. “It’s a whole tonal shift, which is awesome.”

The new season, like the first, is able to appeal to both adult fans who grew up with the series and newer, younger fans with its dual storylines. David Schwimmer and Ana Ortiz star as the main adults in this season, and they have “a real, deep, meaningful storyline,” Winston explains. On the other side are the teens and their problems, which are relatable to a younger demographic. There are also flashbacks to teens in 1994, and “maybe you read the books as a kid and remember being a kid in 1994,” giving the series appeal across generations.

Although the series is available on Disney+ and the books often follow pre-teen characters, the show’s protagonists were “aged up to 17, 18, so they’re on the cusp of adulthood, [which] allows you to tell a more mature character story,” Letterman notes. “This season takes place over a summer. It feels very YA. It’s relatable. We never pull our punches or pander down. We have a big adult audience that follows the show.”

The previously mentioned humor woven in among the spooky plot points ensures that a younger demographic can still enjoy the series, too. “Always having the humor in our show helps everybody take a break and a breather,” Winston says. “I think it’s why it might be easier if you do have a younger kid watching—whether or not they’re supposed to. [When] they’re getting scared, there is going to be David Schwimmer coming in with a joke or our teens having a funny observation. That really helps, and that’s what keeps it very Goosebumps. Goosebumps always had that kind of tongue-in-cheek [humor], puns and different things going on that kept you from getting too scared.”

Schwimmer and Ortiz are joined on-screen by a slew of up-and-coming actors, who made the casting process easy for those behind the scenes. “I remember when we wrote up [character names] like ‘Devin’ and ‘Cece’ on a dry-erase board, and then all of a sudden there was somebody like Jayden Bartels,” says Winston. “You’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I just met Cece, even though we invented her!’ With this case, this is what happened. [The cast] just really came together. They formed their own group and dynamics, and then we wrote toward that. Sam McCarthy and Jayden [who play Devin and Cece, respectively] have such a brother-sister relationship.”

“This usually happens by episode three, [when] we’ve gotten to know them,” Letterman says. “Hilary and I are then like, OK, let’s start writing toward our cast and how they behave. But Sam and Jayden bicker like brother and sister on- and off-screen. It’s the most fascinating thing.”

“Starting in the chemistry read!” Winston interjects.

“From day one,” Letterman affirms. “What’s on screen is it. That is the relationship. It’s really funny.”

And unlike the first season when fans had to wait for a new episode each week, all episodes of season two are dropping at once on Disney+ and Hulu on January 10. Though this style of premiering doesn’t necessarily make it any easier when writing and producing a program, “we feel good about it because it’s a very binge-y show,” Letterman says. “The storylines all fold, and we cliffhang every episode. There’s an engine to each episode that drives you to the next. It’s a page-turner, just like a book.”

Winston adds, “If somebody wants to stay up watching under the covers on their iPad just like people used to do with the Goosebumps books, then we would be happy.”