Disney+'s Goosebumps Bosses Told Us Why Justin Long Was Perfect Casting, And Barbarian And New Girl Were Involved
There was high praise for the actor.
Disney+ is bringing an all-new live-action Goosebumps TV series to audiences of a certain age, and the creative team pulled in quite the A+ actor to appeal to both those who grew up with the books and younger generations: Justin Long. He isn't just the bridge between millennials and Gen-Z, though, but also an actor capable of walking the fine genre line the Disney+ series has to walk. Executive producers for the show recently spoke the show's praises when talking to CinemaBlend, and namechecked New Girl and Barbarian as prime examples for why Long was the ideal talent for this lead role.
I was honored to speak to executive producers Conor Welch and Pavun Shetty about Goosebumps' first streaming series, and why Justin Long was a go-to casting choice. Welch was quick to bring up that there aren't a lot of actors in Hollywood who jump between comedy and horror as often or successfully as Long, and how that familiarity with both cinematic moods translated to working on the R.L. Stine adaptation anthology.
Justin Long appears in Goosebumps as Mr. Nathan Bratt, a new English teacher in town who moved into the creepy Biddle house. The house has a sketchy history known to some in the town, and will be central to the five teens who come in contact with it throughout the series. As a teacher and owner of this mysterious house, it goes without saying he'll come into contact with the main characters a fair bit.
Pavun Shetty continued praising Justin Long and brought up his previous work that helped lead to Goosebumps. Shetty had some personal experience in seeing the actor during his guest role on New Girl and noted his part in the cast of Barbarian was out in the world not long before filming on the Disney+ show:
As someone who was honored to see the first batch of episodes in advance, I can confirm Justin Long embraces both elements in Goosebumps. While the horror isn't quite as grotesque as what one might see if they check out his wild performance in Kevin Smith's Tusk, there's a lot of fear to draw in the role.
I think audiences will be surprised to see just how scary he can make a middle-aged geeky English teacher look. I was impressed and agreed with the EPs that not everyone could play this role as well as he did.
Goosebumps has long been an entry-point for Horror to young audiences, and as such, has to navigate between being spooky and fun at the same time. Those who tune in with a Disney+ subscription can expect a performance from Justin Long that is as frightening as it is funny to watch. It's a bit more extreme than previous live-action adaptations, but it's a treat and great for family watching this Halloween season.
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Goosebumps premieres its first five episodes on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday, October 13th. Viewers beware they'll be in for a scare, but also some delightful fun and acting that might just reinvigorate the series once more for audiences.
Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.
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