Goosebumps Returns: The Perfect Thrill for Youngsters!

Summary

The 2023 Goosebumps reboot is not intended for a younger audience, signaling a departure from previous installments aimed at children.

The TV-PG rated show incorporates violence, moments of fear, adult themes, as well as references to extramarital affairs and sexual innuendos.

Younger viewers might be scared and those anticipating a lighter, comedic approach reminiscent of the Goosebumps movies may be disappointed due to the darker tone and heightened emphasis on scares and teen subplots.

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2023's Goosebumps reboot, although inspired by children's books, does not cater exclusively to a younger audience. Throughout the Goosebumps franchise's various iterations, such as the original novels and '90s TV show adaptation, as well as the two live-action horror comedy movies, the target demographic has typically been younger viewers. However, Hulu's reboot of the series aims to break away from this pattern.

While 2023's Goosebumps reboot is not directly connected to the 2015 film or its sequel, the director of the original movie is involved in directing the pilot episode. Despite this connection, it's important to note that the show and the Goosebumps movies were not created with the same target audience in mind. The teaser trailer for the reboot, featuring teenagers with haunting black eyes, has been hinting at its appeal to an older audience since its earliest release.

The Goosebumps TV Reboot Is Rated TV-PG

The 2023 reboot of Goosebumps has been given a TV-PG rating due to the presence of violence, scary moments, and some adult themes. This new version of Goosebumps explores the experiences of two different generations of main characters, highlighting issues that affect both teenagers and their parents. Consequently, there are references to extramarital affairs, sexual innuendos, and dark humor. Additionally, while some episodes contain cartoonish violence, it is more reminiscent of the fantastical chaos seen in the Goosebumps movies rather than the graphic horror found in Stine's recent Netflix adaptation, the Fear Street trilogy.

The predominant aspect that may not appeal to younger viewers is the dark tone of the new Goosebumps show. Although it does not heavily focus on intense horror, there are numerous jump scares and instances featuring ghostly or demonic figures. Alongside the weighty teen subplots, this could potentially frighten very young viewers and bore them with excessive relationship-focused discussions. While Goosebumps took inspiration from Fear Street by emphasizing its characters rather than its monsters, young children seeking something akin to Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween may feel disappointed.

Goosebumps’ Darker Tone Is Likely Too Scary For Younger Viewers

The reason for Goosebumps being aired on Hulu instead of Disney+ could be attributed to its darker tone, which is deemed to be too intense for Disney+. Just Beyond, an earlier adaptation of Stine's work on the streaming service in 2021, explicitly targeted the same audience as the live-action Goosebumps movies. However, the upcoming Goosebumps adaptation in 2023 has chosen to explore a new direction that is even darker, more frightening, and with a more serious tone than the previous films. Unlike the previous blockbusters, which featured Jack Black in a comedic portrayal of RL Stine himself, the 2023 version of Goosebumps offers a more realistic and chilling experience, focusing on scares and love triangles rather than comedy and meta-jokes.