Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (or simply Goosebumps 2 as marketed on home release) is a 2018 American supernatural horror comedy film directed by Ari Sandel and written by Rob Lieber from a story by Lieber and Darren Lemke. A stand-alone sequel to 2015's Goosebumps, it is based on the children's horror book series of the same name by R. L. Stine. With the exception of Jack Black, who returned as Stine, none of the cast from the previous film returned here. The new cast consists of Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Chris Parnell, and Ken Jeong. The plot follows two young boys who accidentally release the monsters from the Goosebumps franchise in their town after opening an unpublished Goosebumps manuscript titled Haunted Halloween, causing a wave of destruction on Halloween night. Unlike the previous installment, Village Roadshow Pictures was not involved with the film and it wasn’t shown in 3D.

Development of the film began on September 2015 that Rob Letterman confirmed that he was to return as director for the sequel as Jack Black was set to reprise the role of Stine as Odeya Rush was initially attached to reprise the role of Hannah Stine. However, it was confirmed that the sequel will not feature any of the original cast and Letterman couldn't commit to return due to him busy working on Pokémon: Detective Pikachu so Ari Sandel was hired to direct.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween was released in the United States on October 12, 2018 by Sony Pictures Releasing under its Columbia Pictures label. The film received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $93 million worldwide against its $35 million budget.

Plot

Three years after the previous movie, teenager Sarah Quinn lives with her mother Kathy and younger brother Sonny in Wardenclyffe, New York. Sarah is attempting to get into Columbia University by writing an essay about fear. Kathy agrees to watch Sonny's friend Sam Carter while his father goes out of town. Sonny and Sam are attempting to start a garbage cleanup business, and are called after school to clean up an abandoned house. Inside, they find a locked manuscript and open it, causing Slappy the Dummy to appear. They unknowingly bring Slappy to life by speaking magic words found in his pocket. The manuscript is later stolen by a bully named Tommy Madigan.

At home, Sonny is working on his science project, a miniature version of Nikola Tesla's Wardenclyffe Tower. Slappy then reveals he's alive to Sonny and Sam, and gets their trust by using his magic to do the boy's chores and homework. Meanwhile, Sarah goes to a party to meet her boyfriend Tyler Mitchell (Bryce Cass), but sees him kissing another girl. Slappy later overhears Sarah talking about Tyler and sabotages Sonny's science project. The following day on Halloween, Slappy uses his powers to attack Tyler, and Sonny accidentally damages the school science lab with his sabotaged project. Sarah questions Sonny and Sam about Slappy. The group realizes that Slappy is at fault for everything. The kids capture Slappy and try to dispose of him in a lake, but he escapes. That night, they find an article online about the events that happened in Madison, Delaware and try to contact R. L. Stine after realizing the book they found was an unpublished Goosebumps manuscript called Haunted Halloween. Stine, now living in a cabin in the woods, hears their message and departs for Wardenclyffe.

Slappy goes to a local drug store and uses his magic to bring Goosebumps costumes and Halloween decorations to life. He also uses a mask to transform an employee named Walter into a hunchbacked ogre. Slappy travels to the Wardenclyffe tower, and uses it to amplify his magic. Meanwhile, Sarah, Sonny and Sam retrieve the book from Tommy's house while all the town's Halloween decorations come to life. The trio discover that the book can trap the monsters inside. However, the book is stolen and Kathy is kidnapped by the monsters. The kids’ neighbor Mr. Chu, a Goosebumps fan, helps them craft monster disguises to safely navigate the town. The kids head for the Wardenclyffe Tower while Stine arrives in town. At the tower, the kids encounter Slappy and Walter and discover that Slappy has turned Kathy into a living dummy. Sonny and Sam overload the reactor while Sarah fights Slappy. She defeats Slappy by kicking him into the electrified coil atop the tower, which blasts him into the sky. Sarah opens the book and combines it with the reactor's energy to suck all the other monsters into the Haunted Halloween manuscript, while also returning Kathy and Walter to normal. Stine arrives, congratulates the kids for defeating the monsters, and gives Sarah advice for writing her essay.

Sometime later, Kathy and Walter start dating. Sonny wins the science fair and Sarah gets an email saying she got into Columbia University. Back in Stine's cabin, Slappy appears. He reveals that he has survived and has written a book of his own where Stine is the main character. He then opens his manuscript, sucking Stine inside.