Just Beyond, the graphic novel series written by legendary horror author R.L. Stine and published by BOOM! Studios, is coming to the small screen. Disney+ has ordered an eight-episode series based on the graphic novels written by Stine and illustrated by Kelly & Nichole Matthews. The anthology series is being created by author and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith.
Stine has been creating scary stories for younger readers for decades, from Fear Street to Goosebumps. The latter series has already been adapted into both a TV series in the 1990s and a pair of recent feature films, while the first film of a trilogy adaptation of the Fear Street series was slated for release in theaters in June 2020 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first volume of the Stine-written Just Beyond series, The Scare School, debuted last August, and was, according to BOOM! CEO Ross Richie, the best-selling original graphic novel ever for the publisher. The second book in the series, The Horror at Happy Landings, is due out next Tuesday, May 12th.
In a statement announcing the Disney+ series, Grahame-Smith and Stine both expressed their excitement at bringing Just Beyond to the small screen:
“I grew up watching Twilight Zone reruns and the original Amazing Stories with my parents,” said Seth Grahame-Smith. “I’ve always wanted to make a genre anthology series that families could enjoy together, and do it in a way that delivered for kids and adults alike. R.L. Stine has been a part of millions of childhoods, and Disney+ has already proven itself as a place that knows how to make high-quality shows for the whole family. I couldn’t be more excited to be working with both of them.”
“Back in the day, we had a Goosebumps HorrorLand attraction at Walt Disney World,” said author R.L. Stine. “It was one of the thrills of my life. Now I’m thrilled to be back with Disney for the TV series based on my graphic novels. Writing Just Beyond for BOOM! Studios has been a joy from the beginning, and I’m so happy to have the wonderful screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith bring the series to life on Disney+. How lucky can I be?”
As someone who has a fond spot in my heart for younger horror anthologies like Are You Afraid of the Dark?, I couldn’t be more excited to see Just Beyond come to Disney+. Look for the series to debut in Fall 2021.
