Goosebumps 3 Updates: Release Date & Story Details
Rachel Hickman Goosebumps 3 could follow the first two films and provide nostalgia, scares, and iconic characters from R.L. Stine's books - here's what we know.
The Goosebumps movies brought author R.L. Stine's popular horror book series to life with the first two movies, but could Goosebumps 3 be on the way?
Stine's book series debuted in 1992 and became a favorite amongst budding horror fans and '90s kids alike. The prolific author released 62 titles in the Goosebumps series between 1992-1997 and continued with several other spin-off series such as Give Yourself Goosebumps and Tales to Give You Goosebumps. The books were eventually turned into a television series that began in 1995 and ran for four seasons. Stine is also responsible for the slightly more mature Fear Street novels, which preceded Goosebumps and began in 1989. Fear Street is also being adapted into a 2020 horror movie, which is currently slated for a June release.
Goosebumps, which starred Jack Black as Stine, released in 2015 and had a direct sequel in 2018, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. This film differed from the first in that most of the cast from the first, except for Jack Black, who reprised his role as the series' author. The first film did well with audiences and critics, who were pleased with how the movie kept the legacy of Stine's books alive and re-introduced them to a new audience. The sequel didn't quite do as well, received mixed reviews from critics, and only managed to scare up $93.3 million on a $35 million budget. Given the decline, will another movie happen? Here's everything we know so far.
Will Goosebumps 3 Happen?
Based on low performance at the box office from 2018's sequel, it's uncertain whether Goosebumps 3 will be green-lit. As of this writing, a third movie in the series has not been confirmed. Since Fear Street is getting a movie trilogy, perhaps this is part of why another Goosebumps movie has not been confirmed; it's possible studios and Stine are waiting to see how this avenue goes before making a decision to continue with the family-friendly angle, although Fear Street's books were marketed more toward teenagers.
When Goosebumps 3 Could Release
As Fear Street is releasing in 2020, and no information on a third Goosebumps movie has been released by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures, it's possible that another movie wouldn't be in the pipeline until 2023. Traditionally, from the point of acquisition to wrapping production, these films have taken longer to produce. The rights to the first film were acquired by Columbia in 2008, but the first movie didn't release until 2015. The second movie was green-lit in September 2015 and came out in October 2018, which is a three-year gap. Given that the last movie was 2018, 2021 would mark three years, but since the production hasn't even started, it could be a while until release.
What Goosebumps 3's Story Could Be About
In February 2017, Goosebumps SlappyWorld book series was launched; so far, twelve books have been announced and there's set to be at least fourteen in the complete series. In the past, the movies have taken from various parts of Stine's series, and since the author has a lot of material, it's possible they could try to adapt his newest series for another movie. If the books do well, they would already have a fan following instead of relying on the nostalgia factor of the first two. The first two movies do feature Slappy the Dummy from Night of the Living Dummy, so this tracks with the new books being released; Slappy is something of the hallmark of the Goosebumps movies. If Goosebumps 3 does happen, this seems like the most promising approach.
