Readers beware, you’re in for a slice of unsurprising sequel news: Sony is reportedly moving forward with Goosebumps 2.
That’s according to The Hollywood Reporter, noting that both Rob Letterman and Darren Lemke – director and writer on last year’s spooky sleeper hit, respectively – are on the verge of returning for the follow-up. No word yet on whether Jack Black will reprise his role as eccentric author R.L. Stine, though the outlet notes Sony is eager to secure Black for the confirmed sequel, given how his charisma helped fire Letterman’s original to international success.
Beyond that, there’s no mention of Dylan Minnette and/or Odeya Rush returning for Goosebumps 2, though it’s still early days. On the other end of the lens, Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz are on board to produce once again.
Rather than focusing on a select novel in R.L. Stine’s long-running novel series, Goosebumps plucked supernatural elements from across the author’s body of work and filtered them into an entertaining family romp – one that scored a relatively healthy $157 million at the worldwide box office.
The fact that Letterman and Co. cooked up the lighthearted horror on a $58 million budget has helped vindicate plans for a direct sequel. Given that an adaptation of Stine’s work was first hatched at Fox all the way back in 1998, before moving over to Sony ten years later, a Goosebumps franchise was little more than a pipe dream two decades ago. Now, it’s fast becoming a bankable proposition.
Jack Black recently stepped into the voice booth for animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 3, and is currently on board for Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky’s The Man Who Would Be Polka King. But will Sony be able to squeeze in a Goosebumps follow-up on the actor’s slate?
