The Halloween season just started early, as the first Goosebumps 2 teaser trailer is unleashed. Prepare yourself for a very Haunted Halloween (okay, okay, the title sucks but the trailer looks pretty good) starring, among other things, some gnarly sentient gummy bears.
A group of new kids feature in the first trailer, led by IT‘s very own Jeremy Ray Taylor. Likewise, a brand new group of horrifying monsters is unleashed from the seminal book series, led by somebody very familiar in the form of evil dummy Slappy.
Annoyingly, Jack Black’s R.L. Stine — the highlight of the first movie — is nowhere to be found, and it’s unclear whether he’s voicing Slappy either which, let’s face it, is straight up blasphemy. Goosebumps was a blast primarily because of Black’s odd portrayal of Stine, and his voice-work on Slappy, The Invisible Boy, et al. was an absolute joy.
Without Stine, is this even really Goosebumps? Isn’t it just that weird spinoff series with the cabinet of souls or whatever? Perhaps he’s going to pop up in a cameo, but IMDb seems to suggest not. Still, we remain hopeful.
Director Rob Letterman has passed the reins on to Ari Sandel, whose sequel finds a couple kids stumbling upon Stine’s old house and unlocking a book to release Slappy. The dummy then releases a bunch of monsters just in time for the holiday season, allowing for plenty of spooky Halloween fun in the midst of trick-or-treating.
Taylor, who will also appear in IT: Chapter Two, is joined by Caleel Harris, star of Hulu’s Castle Rock, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle‘s Madison Iseman. The adult cast is just as strong this time around too, with Wendi McLendon-Covey, Chris Parnell, and Ken Jeong all set to appear.
Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween hits theaters October 12. Check out the teaser trailer below and stay tuned to the site for more info in the lead up to the film’s release.
