‘Monsters Vs. Aliens’ Director Rob Letterman To Give Us ‘Goosebumps’

March 20th, 2013

Brian Leak

If you’re a “90s kid” like much of our staff, you’re undoubtedly familiar with R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps book series and its various literary spin-offs and television adaptations. Titles like Welcome To Dead House, Say Cheese And Die, and The Haunted Mask certainly ring a bell, right? I could blather endlessly about my childhood obsession with the often terrifying, sometimes hilarious Goosebumps; my bedding set, extensive book collection, related toys, VHS tapes, etc.

Well today, roughly 16 years since the release of Monster Blood IV, the final Goosebumps in the original series, my chilling childhood complex has been announced to be reaching a whole new level of nostalgic awesomeness. A film adaptation, which has been in talks since 2008, looks to finally be set in stone and ready to get the ball rolling. Helmed by Rob Letterman whose directorial résumé includes Monsters Vs. Aliens, Shark Tale, and 2010’s Gulliver’s Travels, these particular titles are likely indicative of the fact that Letterman can manage a faithful adaptation of the beloved series, but it may be aimed at a younger demographic who may ultimately not appreciate its value as much as us 20-somethings. Would we like to see a new, gritty, terrifying vision much like the recent Evil Dead rebirth? Yes. However, at this point, I’m excited regardless of the approach.

Letterman is currently negotiating his contract with Sony who holds the rights to over 50 of the horror/fiction novellas and at this time it is unknown as to which the film will be inspired by. My vote is for Egg Monsters From Mars or Legend of the Lost Legend. It is even unclear as to whether or not the film will be a live-action (as originally planned) or animated feature, and based on Letterman’s past works, it could go either way, but either are welcomed! Reader beware, you’re in for a… surprise?