For many kids, Goosebumps was a major part of their cultural upbringing. They could read R.L. Stine’s novels, watch the adapted television show, and hang out with the sorta-kinda-maybe horrific creatures in their dreams/nightmares. Stine helped many children fall in love with books, and those are the people who are probably most jealous of teen actors Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush and Ryan Lee – the stars of this year’s Goosebumps movie.
Starring alongside Jack Black, who plays the legendary R.L. Stine, these children accidentally unleash every Goosebumps villain on their sleepy little town, and are forced to lock each one back up. From the Abominable Snowman of Pasadena to the Werewolf of Fever Lake, Minnette and his co-stars face off against your favorite Stine creations, albeit through the magic of green screen work.
The only main monster who appears in a physical form is Slappy, a wise-cracking ventriloquist dummy voiced by Black, while the rest are recreated thanks to the magicians at Sony Animation (who do a fantastic job). How do performers react to evil creatures who aren’t actually there? That’s just one of the questions I asked these new-age monster hunters.
I was able to catch up with Dylan, Odeya and Ryan, who were at New York Comic Con promoting this weekend’s release of Goosebumps. We chatted about their first experience with R.L. Stine’s franchise, what it was like to have veteran actor Jack Black on set, and what their own favorite Halloween movies. They might not be crazy horror fans, but that might be why their chemistry makes Goosebumps one of the more successful family-friendly horror movies in recent memory.
Check out the full interview with the stars of the film above and be sure to catch Goosebumps, as it’s now playing in theatres.
