The release of Fear Street: Prom Queen marks the fourth entry in the continuing Fear Street film series, proving that author R. L. Stine’s work still draws an audience after a decades-spanning career. One of the most prolific names in children’s and teen horror, Stine is best known for Goosebumps, one of the biggest-selling book series ever. Even if you’ve never read one, you’ll know the name, or perhaps remember an episode of the 1990s TV show haunting your childhood nightmares.
Netflix’s Fear Street anthology is merely the tip of the Stine iceberg when it comes to big and small screen adaptations. Here are all R. L. Stine movies and TV shows in order of release.
Eureeka’s Castle (1989-1995)
The earliest R. L. Stine movie or TV show isn’t an adaptation of one of his books but an original kids’ show, for which he served as head writer. Eureeka’s Castle, which ran from 1989-95 on Nickelodeon, features puppet-based characters developed by the author, including the titular Eureeka, a spellcaster learning – and often failing – to do magic.
Goosebumps (1995-1998)
Churning out more than 70 episodes over three years, the original Goosebumps TV show began airing just a couple of years after the first book in Stine’s long-running series was published, and it is still going strong today. With mostly standalone episodes, the now-iconic piece of ‘90s children’s entertainment scared and delighted an entire generation.
The Nightmare Room (2001-2002)
Airing a single season across 2001 and 2002, The Nightmare Room drew from the 12 books in Stine’s series of the same name. Its opening narration, read by the legendary James Avery, “Don't fall asleep...or you might find yourself in The Nightmare Room,” nods to the famous introduction to each episode of The Twilight Zone, with which Stine has a professional association after writing “The Wrong Room.” It also features plenty of recognisable young stars, such as Frankie Muniz, Kaley Cuoco, Shia LeBeouf and Amanda Bynes.
When Good Ghouls Go Bad (2001)
Starring Christopher Lloyd, When Good Ghouls Go Bad is a direct-to-TV film that aired a week before Halloween in 2001. Lloyd plays a kooky, ill-fated uncle in a fictional town that doesn’t celebrate the spooky season due to a curse. Stine developed the idea and later penned a novelisation to promote it.
Haunted Lighthouse (2003)
As it could only be seen in theme parks in the US, 2003’s Haunted Lighthouse is probably the most obscure Stine project. Shown in 4-D, its ghostly story of two children trapped on Cape Cod was enhanced by water, wind, and other sound and tactile effects during the ride. It also features Christopher Lloyd, this time as a weathered sea captain alongside Lea Thompson and a “Weird Al” Yankovic cameo.
The Haunting Hour (Movie 2007/TV Series 2010-2014)
The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It (2007) and The Haunting Hour are very loosely based on Stine’s Nightmare Hour short story collection. The first, a 2007 direct-to-DVD movie, has Saw villain Tobin Bell pass a book laden with warnings to a couple of kids, who, naturally, ignore said warnings on Halloween night.
The second adaptation expands the idea into a full TV series, released three years later and running until 2014. Receiving plenty of praise, it’s darker than its Goosebumps predecessor, with main character deaths, plot twists, and an even creepier atmosphere.
Mostly Ghostly Movie Series (2008, 2014, 2016)
The Mostly Ghostly series of TV movies includes Mostly Ghostly (2008), Mostly Ghostly: Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? (2014), and Mostly Ghostly: One Night In Doom House (2016), taken from the early ‘00s Stine novels. Each one centres on Max, an 11-12-year-old psychic whose unique ability to see ghosts does nothing for his cratered popularity in middle school. While he befriends two around his age, others have more insidious intent, pulling Max into even more trouble.
Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls (2015)
A soul-stealing circus comes to town in Stine’s 2012 book Monsterville: The Cabinet of Souls, which later formed the basis for a 2015 TV movie of the same name. Descendants star Dove Cameron plays one half of the story’s unrequited romantic duo, each enticed and ultimately preyed upon by two members of Dr. Hysteria’s Carnival of Horrors.
Eye Candy (2015)
Crafted with an MTV demographic in mind, this serialised adaptation of Stine’s 2004 novel lasted for one season. Victoria Justice plays a tech whiz turned detective when her sister disappears in New York, putting her on the trail of a serial killer. Not only is Eye Candy aimed at an older audience, but it also stands out among Stine’s works for being more of a cyber thriller than horror.
Goosebumps (2015/2018)
With Jack Black playing R. L. Stine, the first Goosebumps theatrical films are delightfully self-referential, honouring the legendary creator by having him team up with kids to battle the monsters from his most famous creation. After a gestation period starting in the ‘90s, the first movie finally came out in 2015, and the second, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween, in 2018, though largely without Black.
Fear Street Trilogy (2021)
Stine’s most well-known series outside of Goosebumps, the Fear Street books began publication in the mid-90s and have had an on-and-off schedule since. Stine’s most recent revival started just over a decade ago, receiving a boost in attention from Netflix’s three-part film adaptations.
Released across three weeks in July 2021, the trilogy takes place in three time periods (Fear Street Part One 1994, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666) interconnected by a spate of occult-linked slayings. A Stranger Things-aping visual style and synthy soundtrack play into their fun nostalgia, while the blood-splattered action dials up the age rating far beyond kid-friendly.
Just Beyond (2021)
This 2021 Disney+ miniseries was adapted from Stine’s Boom! comic series, with each episode functioning as a standalone story. The first and sixth episodes drew The Amazing Spider-Man’s Marc Webb to the director’s chair and McKenna Grace to a lead role, with each plotline touching on deeper themes of self-esteem, conformity, grief, and more. Unfortunately, Just Beyond has been removed from Disney’s streaming library as of 2023.
Zombie Town (2023)
Reuniting original SNL cast members Chevy Chase and Dan Ackroyd, Zombie Town is a Canadian-made version of Stine’s 2000 novel, released in 2023. Stine himself pops up as an enigmatic director whose new movie zombifies an entire town, leaving two teenagers to employ ancient Egyptian mysticism to fight them off.
Goosebumps (2023-Present)
Goosebumps has been back on our TV screens since 2023. The reboot adopts an overarching, serialised story as opposed to the books’ and original show’s anthology format, as well as much grittier visuals and themes. Paying homage to the decade it was born in, this time around, a group of teenagers come up against classic Goosebumps monsters, like the infamous ventriloquist dummy, but also grapple with a 30-year-old mystery from their parents’ pasts. The series second season, Goosebumps: The Vanishing, dropped in January 2025.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
Released in 2025, Fear Street: Prom Queen is the fourth instalment in Netflix’s Fear Street film series film series, and the first spinoff of the original trilogy. Set in the same ‘cursed’ town of Shadyside, the movie mostly takes place on senior prom night in 1988, where someone is picking off prom queen candidates. The kills are just as inventively gory as the first three entries, and the climactic reveal casts a deviously fun shadow back on the story.
Where To Watch All R. L. Stine Movies And TV Shows Online
To discover more about TV shows and movies currently streaming in the UK, check out the JustWatch streaming guide! You can filter your search by streaming service, genre, price, age rating, and score. Be sure to build your watchlist and receive helpful notifications on what to watch next based on your preferences!
