Disney+ brought R.L. Stine’s classic young adult horror anthology Goosebumps back to TV screens, revamping it for a new generation of horror fans. With its dark and wryly humorous storyline, twisted intrigue, fresh themes and nods to its ’90s roots — including the return of iconic dummy mascot Slappy — the Goosebumps reboot was a resounding success. Now Season 2 aims to startle audiences all over again, with Friends star David Schwimmer in the lead.
Goosebumps: The Vanishing is a whole new story based on a classic idea — the evil plants from “Stay Out of the Basement” — with a darker twist. In 1994, four teenagers went missing when they ventured underneath New York City. 30 years later, fraternal twins CeCe and Devin visit their father Anthony (played by Schwimmer) in Brooklyn. But Anthony has a tragic past directly linked to the mysterious disappearances — and his obsession with them starts a new round of horrors. In an interview with CBR, Schwimmer discusses his role as Anthony, and the power of humor and comic relief within Goosebumps‘ dark and scary storylines.
CBR: Anthony is going through a rough time during Goosebumps: The Vanishing. He’s dealing with his mother’s health problems, his estrangement from his children, his brother’s death coming back to haunt him — and now he’s got this killer plant ruining his life! Were you able to relate to him at all?
David Schwimmer: Oh, in many ways, yeah! I’m a divorced dad of a teenager, and while I’m not a botanist, I do have that side of me that’s quite scientifically-minded. I love learning about and studying plants, insects, animal life. Yes, I am that kind of a nerd!
Luckily, my mom is doing okay and doesn’t have dementia — although, as a son, you always have that worry about your parents as they age, of course. So there was a lot I could relate to — the character, and most of all, there was just a lot of humor and great comedy, a lot of physicality. So it was good; it was fun.
Obviously, most TV viewers know you as Ross Geller on Friends, so that’s the kind of character they’re going to expect from you. But Goosebumps: The Vanishing isn’t a sitcom, and Anthony is much more complicated. What are the biggest differences between the two roles, and were there any similarities?
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There’s a tragic backstory with the loss of his brother. And I think this is something that we’ll realize, as the series unfolds, that there’s a huge mystery of what happened to his older brother. When Anthony was only nine years old, his older brother disappeared tragically. So that’s affected his whole life, obviously, and the [lives] of his whole family.
There’s a lot of drama of going on for Anthony right now with that, and taking care of his mom, and being a divorced dad trying to manage and take care of his teenage kids. There’s a lot. It’s pretty heavy. The trick — or the challenge, I think — was finding the humor. Finding the funny. And that’s why I was also attracted to the role. It’s like, “Okay, with everything going on that’s so challenging in this guy’s life, how do we make it funny?”
I think we found a way. Not only is the writing really good, but I think I was able to collaborate with the writers and the directors and really, really mine as much comedy as possible. I think you’ll see the tone of the humor is very different in this show. It’s all about tone, but I think we accomplished it. So, fingers crossed!
Goosebumps: The Vanishing premieres Jan. 10, 2025 on Disney+ and Hulu.
Goosebumps
A group of high school friends stumbles upon a hidden trove of R.L. Stine’s original manuscripts, unleashing the terrifying creatures and eerie scenarios from the “Goosebumps” series into their town. As they face one spooky adventure after another, they must band together to uncover the secrets of their town’s haunted history and find a way to trap the monsters back in the books.
- Release Date
-
October 13, 2023
- Creator(s)
-
Rob Letterman
, Nicholas Stoller - Cast
-
Justin Long
, Ana Yi Puig
, Miles McKenna
, Will Price
, Zack Morris
, Isa Briones
, Rachael Harris
, Rob Huebel
, Ana Ortiz - Main Genre
-
Adventure
- Seasons
-
2
- Story By
-
R.L. Stine
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