No no, don't be confused. They may look a lot alike and one even stars Jack Black, but The House with a Clock in its Walls and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween are not the same. Black, who was a standout as author R.L. Stine in the first movie, isn't returning for the sequel but based on all of the previous trailers and this new one, he won't be missed.
The just-scary-enough-for-kids franchise is based on Stine's bestselling series of spooky novels, and once again finds many of the author's creatures leaping into the real world and terrorizing a neighborhood during Halloween. Leading the pack of young stars is Jeremy Ray Taylor, who should find this level of horror a breeze after his role in last year's adaptation of It.
Here's the synopsis: In the small town of Wardenclyffe on Halloween Night, two boys named Sonny and Sam find a manuscript in an abandoned house that was previously owned by R. L. Stine called “Haunted Halloween.” When they open it, they release Slappy who plans to create the Halloween Apocalypse with the help of his Halloween monster allies. Now, Sonny and Sam, alongside Sonny’s sister, Sarah, must work to thwart Slappy’s plot before all is lost.
Directed by Ari Sandel (The Duff) with Madison Iseman, Caleel Harris, Avery Lee Jones, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Chris Parnell co-starring, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween opens October 12th.
