Goosebumps was a hit for Sony, pulling in over $150 million worldwide, so it wasn't really a big surprise when the studio announced there would be a second movie in the franchise. Now, it seems that Goosebumps 2 is finally getting the ball rolling and has even hired a director. However, it seems that Jack Black's future in the franchise still hasn't been cemented, yet.
When last we wrote about Goosebumps 2, we heard there was a script from Rob Lieber in development that reportedly did not include Jack Black's character R.L.Stine, who is a key component in the first family-friendly flick. R.L. Stine also happens to be the name of the author of the original series of books the movie is named on, but I digress. Now, the latest update seems to indicate there is not just one, but two actual Goosebumps 2 scripts. Which means it may not be over for Jack Black, after all. In fact, if one script moves forward, Jack Black would be back. If the other script moves forward, there's reportedly no room for the character. The two adaptations both use different R.L. Stine stories in their narratives, as well.
Deadline is also reporting that Ari Sandel has been signed on as the director of the project, so it seems as if Sony is going to be wanting to move forward with Goosebumps 2. This also should mean that a script should be chosen for the flick sooner rather than later. Neal H. Moritz is producing with Deborah Forte.
You would think that the powers involved would want Jack Black back for the sequel simply because he's really the only big name in the franchise, which leads me to a few more questions. Does Jack Black even want to come back for the sequel? Is the reason there are two scripts because the studio would like to see the actor back but the one not featuring Jack Black is actually the more interesting script? Are there budget concerns about bringing Black back? These are things we want to know. Originally, Goosebumps 2 had a January 26, 2018 release date penciled in, so it's definitely taken a while longer to come together than was initially expected.
Jack Black has been all over fun movie fare recently. He's next set to appear in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which by all accounts is a crowd pleaser. So, I guess if Goosebumps 2 doesn't work out he can always hop people heading to the theater like his new movie enough that we may get a sequel. Although his co-star Dwayne Johnson always has like eight projects lined up at a time, so we'll have to wait and see.
For now, we'll let you know as soon as Ari Sandel's Goosebumps 2 gets off the ground. Plus, be sure to check out the full look at the movies that will be hitting their 2018 release dates with our full schedule.
