Horror movies usually aren't the best theatrical tales to be marketed towards younger lovers of cinema, but occasionally a horror movie comes out that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Goosebumps was just that that in 2015, channeling the same energy from R.L. Stine's series of children's books. In fact, Stine himself was a character in the movie, though it was Jack Black portraying the author. Goosebumps 2 is on the way, but over the last couple months, it's been unclear if Black would return for the sequel. Well, according to a new report, the actor will indeed be back for another go-around as Stine.
Sony just announced some release date changes for 2018, and along with moving the upcoming Ice Age drama Alpha from March 2 to September 14, Goosebumps 2 (which is being directed by Ari Sandel) will now come out closer to Halloween, vacating its September 21 spot and going to October 12. But in its write-up of the scheduling shifts, Deadline mentioned that Goosebumps 2 will star Jack Black, and that if Goosebumps 2 had been released on September 21 as originally planned, Black would have been competing against himself, as Universal has its own movie starring the actor coming out that same day, The House With a Clock in Its Wall. While this report doesn't constitute official confirmation of Black's return, it seems even likelier now that his version of R.L. Stine will be back for another story involving his creepy creations.
Goosebumps 2 was officially greenlit at the beginning of the year, but in early November, it was reported that Jack Black's involvement wasn't quite nailed down. Apparently two Goosebumps 2 scripts being considered: one featuring Black's R.L. Stine and another written by Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day scribe Rob Lieber that would keep Stine out. If Black weren't to appear in the sequel, it was speculated that this would be a way for Sony to keep costs down, as the actor fetches a high salary. However, assuming that a deal has been reached and Black will be back for Goosebumps 2, that will certainly help put people in seats, not just because he starred in the first movie, but because he's an established Hollywood name.
No plot details for Goosebumps 2 have been released. The first movie introduced R.L. Stine as an author who initially wrote the Goosebumps stories when he was young as a way to frighten the people who made fun of him, but when these fictional monsters became real, Stine had to lock them away in magical manuscripts. Decades later, Stine's monsters were accidentally freed by his daughter and her new friends, and the group had to work fast to trap the monsters again before they wreaked too much havoc.
Now that Goosebumps 2 has been moved to October 12, 2018, it will be competing against Lionsgate's Hellfest and Universal's First Man that opening weekend. To find out what other movies will be released next year, scan through our 2018 premiere guide.
