R.L. Stine’s iconic Goosebumps series returned to television screens with a second season, featuring a completely new cast and storyline. This anthology approach, while jarring for some fans initially, aligns perfectly with the spirit of the original book series, where each story stands alone with its own chilling twists and turns. The cast of the new season, including Ana Ortiz, Elijah M. Cooper, Galilea La Salvia, Francesca Noel, Stony Blyden, Sam McCarthy, and Jayden Bartels, discussed their approach to joining a show with an established, albeit short, history. While most acknowledged watching the first season, they emphasized the anthology nature of the series, allowing them to approach their roles with fresh perspectives, creating a distinct narrative separate from the previous season’s events.
The first season of Goosebumps, released in October 2023, focused on a group of teenagers who unleash supernatural forces upon their town, forcing them to confront the secrets of their parents’ past. This ensemble cast, comprising Isa Briones, Ana Yi Puig, Zack Morris, Miles McKenna, and Will Price, navigated a complex narrative that intertwined personal dramas with supernatural horror. However, the second season, announced with a confirmation of a complete cast and story overhaul, shifted its focus to a pair of twins spending the summer with their father (David Schwimmer) in Brooklyn, where his seemingly innocuous plant-testing takes a decidedly dark turn.
This shift in setting and characters provided a natural separation between the two seasons, allowing the new cast to establish their own unique dynamic and explore different thematic elements within the Goosebumps universe. The actors shared that while they appreciated the first season, they intentionally avoided directly contacting the original cast to maintain the novelty and individuality of their own performances. This approach ensured that their portrayal of the characters and the unfolding story remained authentic and uninfluenced by the previous season’s interpretation of the Goosebumps world.
The anthology format, as emphasized by the show’s executive producers, Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston, is a core element of the Goosebumps brand. Stine’s books rarely offer neat resolutions, often leaving the reader with lingering chills and unanswered questions. This characteristic translates seamlessly to the television series, allowing each season to function as a self-contained narrative, exploring different facets of the horror genre while retaining the signature Goosebumps atmosphere of suspense and unexpected twists. The producers felt the first season’s conclusion served as a fitting, albeit unsettling, end to that particular story, paving the way for a completely new narrative to unfold.
While the change in cast and story represents a significant departure from the first season, the producers also aimed to maintain a sense of familiarity for returning viewers. The second season, while featuring a new plot and characters, retains a similar narrative structure. A present-day mystery unfolds, intertwined with events that transpired three decades prior. Each character encounters their own monstrous storyline, which ultimately converges to reveal a larger, interconnected narrative that links back to the past. This structural similarity provides a recognizable framework for fans of the first season while allowing for a fresh and independent story to unfold.
The decision to embrace the anthology format for Goosebumps allows the series to explore a wider range of stories and themes within the horror genre. This approach not only honors the spirit of the original book series, which featured a diverse collection of standalone tales, but also provides a platform for new creative interpretations of the Goosebumps world. The producers even hinted at the possibility of a Goosebumps multiverse, further emphasizing the potential for interconnected storylines and crossovers in future seasons. This flexible format allows the series to continually reinvent itself, keeping the scares fresh and the audience on the edge of their seats. The second season of Goosebumps, streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, marks a new chapter in the franchise’s television adaptation, embracing the anthology format to deliver a chilling new story while maintaining the core elements that define the Goosebumps experience.
