Despite garnering strong reviews and solid viewership for the streamer, Disney+ will not be moving forward withGoosebumps. The show took an anthology structure to adaptingR.L. Stine’s classic novel series, with season 1 following a group of high school students investigating the tragic death of a teen in the past that also leads to bizarre supernatural secrets.
Season 2, subtitledThe Vanishing, subsequently shifted to twin siblings moving in with their father in New York City for the summer, only for their trip through an abandoned Fort to unleash a long-dormant evil. Each episode of the seasons incorporatedcertainGoosebumpsstoriesinto their serialized story, ranging fromThe Haunted MasktoNight of the Living DummyandStay Out of the Basement.
As revealed byVariety,Goosebumpshas been cancelled by Disney+ after two seasons. The show garnered strong reviews from critics during its run and was a modest viewership success, garnering 75 million hours combined across both seasons in the U.S. Sources report that Sony Pictures Television is planning to shopGoosebumpsto other homes and “explore different creative directions for the IP”.
What This Means For Goosebumps' Future
The decision to cancelGoosebumpsafter two seasons is certainly something of a surprise considering it scored strong reviews across both seasons. While audiences remained consistent with a 69% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics had actually grown in their positivity from season 1, nettingThe Vanishinga slightly improved 77% score from season 1’s 74%.
However, while season 1 did well with viewership,Goosebumpsseason 2 seems to have takensomething of a dip. Disney+ doesn’t often share specifics on their viewership data, so beyond the combined 75 million hours, it’s unclear what the actual breakdown is, apart from season 1 being in the Top 10 most-watched shows across all streaming platforms within its first month of release.
If to compare its combined numbers to some of the streamer’s other biggest shows, though, likePercy Jackson and the Olympiansseason 1 orDaredevil: Born Againseason 1,Goosebumpswas certainly no blockbuster hit, which is likely part of the reason behind its cancellation. Additionally, Disney has spent some time reining in their output for financial reasons, thus investing in sure things.
Despite the cancellation, those who did enjoyGoosebumpscan take some comfortfor now in that Sony Pictures TV is reportedly shopping the rights around to other networks. With the studio reportedly looking for new angles to adapt the books, they could very well return to the episodic anthology format of the classic ’90s show, orJumanji-like twist from the live-action movies.
Our Take On Goosebumps' Cancellation
GivenThe Vanishingended on another cliffhangerunlikely to be resolved, part of me is comfortable withGoosebumpsbeing cancelled after just two seasons, as a new adaptation can start from scratch. Plus, it will always be interesting to see what a new set of creatives bring to the fold in translating Stine’s iconic works for the screen.
That being said, there is still a big part of me that’s going to missGoosebumpsif Sony isn’t able to successfully sell the show to a new network. Rob Letterman and Hilary Winston found a really unique balance in delivering original stories with adaptations of Stine’s beloved books, and if a new creative team takes over, I hope they at least take the right lessons from the Disney+ show.
Goosebumps
Cast
R. L. Stine’s horror book series receives its second television adaptation with the 2023 Disney+ series Goosebumps. The new series brings in the creative minds behind the first two Goosebumps films and centers on five teenagers who haphazardly unleash evil supernatural forces on their town. As they attempt to send them back to where they came from, they learn that their parents harbor similar secrets from their younger days.
