Sunday, May 18, 2008

Goosebumps Horrorland Goes to The Big Screen

"I'm looking forward to bringing 'Goosebumps' to the big screen with Columbia
and Neal who value and respect the brand and the global fan base that
Scholastic has cultivated. What better way to deliver the rollercoaster ride of
scares and humor that the fans expect from 'Goosebumps' than with a movie. Sony'
s track record with franchises like 'Spider-Man' makes them an ideal partner,"
said Deborah Forte, producer and president of Scholastic Media

The "Goosebumps" book series returned to the top of the sales charts again last
month with the release of the first two books in "Goosebumps HorrorLand," a new
twelve book series by R.L. Stine, featuring favorite characters from the
original series such as Slappy the Dummy, the Haunted Mask, and the Mummy. It
is the first "Goosebumps" serialized adventure in which each book is part of
the same plot. Fans can also get exclusive "Goosebumps HorrorLand" content at
EnterHorrorLand.com; and additional "Goosebumps" chills at the official "
Goosebumps" website, which continues to garner 1.5 million page views each
month.

"Goosebumps" has been published in over 32 languages and sold more than 300
million copies worldwide. The series was successfully adapted by Scholastic
Entertainment for television for the Fox Kids Network, where it was rated #1
for four seasons, and aired in over 100 countries. Episodes of the live action
television series returned to the small screen in 2007 on Cartoon Network and
instantly became a sensation. New "Goosebumps HorrorLand" books written by R.L.
Stine hit the stores last month and, this fall, Scholastic Interactive unveils
a highly anticipated "Goosebumps" videogame.

Columbia Pictures has acquired from Scholastic Media the right to adapt
Scholastic's bestselling "Goosebumps" book series into a theatrical feature.
The film will be produced by Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz; it was announced
today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures.

"Securing the motion picture rights to 'Goosebumps' for Columbia Pictures and
Sony comes with an enormous responsibility to the fans who have grown up with
these books and have very high expectations about how these beloved novels will
be adapted. We are truly delighted to be partners with Deborah Forte and the
team at Scholastic as we work together to bring 'Goosebumps' to the big screen,"
said Moritz.

Commenting on the announcement, Tolmach said, "'Goosebumps' is an international
multi-media phenomenon, a truly global brand that excites kids everywhere.
Children and parents alike love the 'Goosebumps' series -- it's safe, scary fun
that is completely accessible to audiences from 8 to 80. When kids think of '
Goosebumps,' they're drawn not to a single character or mini-series, but to an
entire environment. We're excited by that creative challenge and, with so much
rich source material available to us, we expect to deliver a film that will
chill and thrill fans of this unique family-friendly franchise."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I should point out that nothing in any of the news reports say that the movie will be based on Goosebumps HorrorLand. For all we know it could be a big-screen version of Invasion Of The Body Squeezers or a Give Yourself Goosebumps/

Ed. said...

Hmm, you must be right...Somehow I assumed that it will be based on Goosebumps HorrorLand given all this recent noise with the new series coming out backed by Web sites and game release this Fall (and I thought they're speakign about Goosebumps HorrorLand videogame!)

We'll see...

Anonymous said...

Goosebumps HorrorLand isn't set to finish until summer next year, so I assume the game isn't based on the new series, either, unless they want to give away the ending. HorrorLand is very much the sort of thing they'd do for a movie, mix together enemies and make it that bit more epic, but the series is too long and too episodic. They probably don't even know what they're going to do yet. There have already been two video games, however, which were a sequel to and reworking of existing Goosebumps books (One Day At HorrorLand and Attack Of The Mutant respectively) - I assume the new game will be something like that, something based on a popular book with a weird setting (like a camp or a haunted house).

Alternative suggestion: Both the video game and the movie will be HorrorLand-lite - same sort of idea but executed differently.

Ed. said...

A> I assume the game isn't based on the new series, either, unless they want
A> to give away the ending.

But they dont need to! I suppose material from 3 first books is more
than enough to set up a (no doubt) first in the series of Goosebumps
(Horrorland) Movies - and they could even do exactly the same thing
Spielberg has done now with Indiana, once they run out of Horrorland 12
books (would they?) - to shoot a PREQUEL based on original Goosebumps
series (60+ books would be more than enough).


A> Alternative suggestion: Both the video game and the movie will be
A> HorrorLand-lite - same sort of idea but executed differently.

That would be a good shot!