October is turning out be a stellar month for the king of preteen horror R.L. Stine. Not only is the Goosebumps movie being released on October 16, but The Wrap confirmed a Fear Street movie is in the works at 20th Century Fox. Aimed at teens, the anthology series set in Shadyside, Ohio, was huge in the '90s — and just like everything else in the decade, the books made a comeback in the '00s. The series was revived in 2014, proving Stine never goes out of style — and, even better, it was made even gorier and more twisted than it was before. Fear Street is what you graduated to when you outgrew Goosebumps, and the series — which spans more than a 100 titles — is much darker than Goosebumps as a result.
Since Fear Street has a revolving cast of characters, it would make for a deliciously scary TV series — but I am not going to complain when we're already getting a movie (hopefully, though, it will turn into a series of movies, because you know if the first one does well, there will be at least 12 more). For his part, Stine is keeping mum on the details. "I’m not allowed to say, but yeah, there’s something happening," Stine told The Wrap. "I’m usually a loose cannon, but they really didn’t want me to talk about it."
Anyone else super intrigued now? Even without firm details, I am already dreaming up my perfect cast. There are a few young actors who would make Fear Street even more unmissable than it already is, no matter what stories end up being adapted.
Cameron Monaghan
Best known for his work on Showtime's Shameless and Fox's Gotham, Monaghan has serious star quality — so it's high time for him to tackle a big screen project. And given his chilling performance as Jerome in Gotham , Fear Street would be a great stepping stone for him. If the studio decides to adapt the The Night People trilogy, Monaghan would be perfect as Lewis, one of several teens who start sneaking out at night only to find themselves involved in some seriously dark situations.
Rowan Blanchard
The Disney star has already shown she has serious acting chops, and Fear Street would allow her to stretch herself even further as a character in a darker world. I would love to see what Blanchard could do in the horror genre (although seeing her as one of Stine's murderous bad guys would break my heart — let's make her a hero instead).
John Boyega
Boyega is becoming super famous now that he is in Star Wars Episode VII, but I will never forget how much talent he showed way back in 2011's Attack the Block. If Boyega can show that much energy protecting his street from aliens, then he would have no problem facing down a Fear Street baddie.
Alexandra Shipp
Shipp is already proving she can work in an ensemble cast as Storm in X-Men: Apocalypse, and I have a feeling she is about to be a major breakout star. If the movie adapts the first Fear Street novel, The New Girl, then Shipp would absolutely nail the duality an actress would need to bring to the role of Anna.
Jonah Bobo
Child actor no more, Bobo (best known for Crazy, Stupid, Love) is on the rise in Hollywood, and he would bring a comedic touch to Fear Street. If the film itself is an anthology, he could slide right into the role of accidental cat killer Marty who finds himself stalked by cats wherever he goes.
Sharon Rooney
Rooney is 26, but she pulled off playing one of the best teens ever in My Mad Fat Diary. I would love to see Rooney working stateside, and Fear Street would give her a chance to slip back into the teen genre she is already so good in. Perhaps she could play a camp counselor at Camp Nightwing? She could definitely solve a mystery and save her campers at the same time.
Olivia Cooke
Cooke recently landed a major role in Ready Player One , but she already has plenty of horror/suspense cred thanks to Ouija and Bates Motel. Fear Street is right up Cooke's ally, and because she always seems so sweet, she could totally play one of Stine's duplicitous characters and have the whole audience fooled.
Justice Smith
Smith is just waiting for his big break. He was a standout in Paper Towns, and he could slide right into the ensemble cast of Fear Street with ease. The versatile young actor can do anything asked of him, and facing the horrors of Shadyside could be exactly what Smith needs to take his career to the next level.
Bex Taylor-Klaus
Taylor-Klaus is one of TV's most talented actresses, and she brings a tough, survivor spirit to every role she takes. Fear Street is going to require actors who can play every emotion believably, and Taylor-Klaus can be a wise-cracking smart-ass, a legitimately scary threat, or a protector for everyone. She would fit right in on Fear Street and make the movie 100 percent cooler in the process.
Whether Fear Street ends up being one story or a collection of stories, these young actors would bring their A-games to what could be the next great horror movie franchise.
Image: Simon and Schuster
