ComingSoon Senior Editor Brandon Schreur spoke to Jayden Bartels and Sam McCarthy about Goosebumps: The Vanishing. Bartels and McCarthy discussed their experiences working on the new season of Goosebumps, working with David Schwimmer, and more.
“Goosebumps: The Vanishing begins when twins Cece and Devin Brewer are sent to spend a summer in Gravesend, Brooklyn, with their divorced dad,” the synopsis reads. “A threat is stirring, and they quickly realize that dark secrets are among them, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, Cece, Devin, and their friends — Alex, CJ, and Frankie — find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994.”
All eight episodes of Goosebumps: The Vanishing will be released across Disney+ and Hulu on January 10, 2025.
Brandon Schreur: I’m wondering if you guys can tell me a little bit about your involvement with this franchise. The books have been around for decades and decades. Were you guys fans of them when growing up? Or have you seen any of the movies or the first season of the show prior to getting cast in this?
Jayden Bartels: Yeah, I think like everyone on the show knew about Goosebumps. Nobody went in being like, ‘What’s Goosebumps?’ I read some of the books when I was younger. I watched the Jack Black movies. But I think once I got this role and started really going out for it was when I was like, ‘Okay, let’s see, really, how much I know about this universe.’ And I did not know as much as I thought I did. It’s huge and it feels like it’s everlasting. But it’s amazing. Once I fully dove in, I wished I knew about it more when I was younger. Younger me would have loved it because I always loved horror and reading, but I’m so glad I could be a part of it now.
Yeah, definitely. I’m kind of curious, though, when you do get the part, how do you prepare for that role? Do you go back and re-read or read for the first time a bunch of the books?
Bartels: Well, we watched the first season.
Sam McCarthy: Yeah, of course, you watch the first season of the show. I think there’s a bit of — I mean, I got the part and I was like, ‘Oh, dude, I have to be prepared and do all these things.’ Then you read the script a bunch of times. Because this is ultimately what we’re making now, you know what I mean? Devin and Cece, these are new characters. It’s like, I can dive into the lore a little bit, but almost, I think, preparation — extraneously, not even necessarily doing what we’re doing right now — becomes a bit preparation for the sake of preparation and becomes a source of tension itself. I think, at least for me, in any creative endeavor, tension is the enemy of channeling being relaxed. Which allows you to create.
Sure, no, totally. And you guys are so good in the show, it’s really fun to watch your characters and your dynamic. You play siblings so believably. I could totally believe you guys are related in real life, you capture it so well. I’m curious how you go about capturing that on set. Was there a lot of bonding and working together when the cameras were off, too? How did you play siblings so believably like that?
Bartels: I’m so glad that it’s coming off that way. It’s different than siblings, you know? When you’re twins, you’re literally like one-half of each other.
McCarthy: You’re locked in.
Bartels: What’s funny, what you said reminded me that, not really while we were filming, but, now, afterward since we wrapped, every time I see him I’m like, ‘My twin! My brother! My sibling!’ Which we never really did while filming.
McCarthy: I mean, it was there, but it’s also like…
Bartels: But were so in it.
McCarthy: You’re in a vortex while filming.
Bartels: But I feel like that’s how we created our relationship, so that’s always what it’s going to be, to me, you know? It was so much fun. It was so much fun playing a twin. I never thought I’d be able to play a twin, but it was really fun.
McCarthy: You also can’t, like, do something to create that. You know what I mean? There’s no formula for that.
Sure. I’m sure a lot of it comes from off the page when it’s just you guys going back and forth, which, again, makes it all the more believable, more fun to see and watch you in there. I’ve got to ask you about some of the rest of the cast, too. The thing I’ve loved about Goosebumps, both seasons, is the first one had Justin Long. This one, you get David Schwimmer. We all know he’s Ross from Friends, but what is it like working with him? Is that intimidating at all or is he just like the most casual, laid-back kind of guy?
Bartels: He is the most casual, laid-back kind of guy.
McCarthy: He is!
Bartels: And it’s funny because his character on Friends is not.
McCarthy: Yeah, I was a little more [makes an explosive hand gesture]. But he was not. He was so chill.
Bartels: He’s very grounded. Which is, honestly, good, though. He was so nice and amazing to be around. You learn a lot from just being around that kind of energy. Seeing him go from when the cameras are on and when he’s performing to his grounded, calm self is really, really cool.
Totally. Sam, there’s a really fun moment near the end of the first episode that involves you and some vines that have come alive when you are down in the sewers. I’m kind of curious about what it was like to film that moment. Was any of that practical? Or was it all special effects?
McCarthy: The dragging was practical. All of the other stuff that was going on was totally special effects. There was a rubber band around my shins.
Bartels: Wait, there was one interview where you imitated what you had to do.
McCarthy: Yeah, it was just like — ah, I can’t do it again. But it’s a really cool thing to do. It’s kind of just doing what little kids do all the time. Because you watch little kids play The Floor Is Lava. And, occasionally, they’ll be having a panic attack while hitting the floor. It’s really just about being sensitive enough to believe that this — the camera, in some of the cases, or just that pink piece of tape — is going to come kill me. It’s really just about willing to be young enough to be sensitive enough to that. It’s cool. I’d never done anything like that before.
Oh, it’s a really cool moment in the show. I didn’t expect that, but I was loving it and it was a lot of fun to watch. Jayden, there’s another part I want to talk to you about in Episode 3. The episode revolves around a haunted car, and you get to be in the car for a little bit. What was that like? I’m assuming there was a stunt driver involved, at some point, but were you actually ever in the car when it was speeding off?
Bartels: Yeah, so, it’s so funny. A scene like that, anything really with vehicles, especially when it’s vehicles that are crashing, it takes forever. It doesn’t look like it because it’s like two seconds, but I was in that car for probably three days straight in like three different locations. It’s so cool to see it all come together and look so cohesive.
Mainly, I was in that car in a room like this, in front of a green screen, completely still, while people at the bottom of the car were shaking it with their bare hands.
McCarthy: I had just heard that today.
Bartels: And me, you have to put your whole body into it, to make it look like the car is moving. It’s a lot, but it’s fun. A note I always got is I would go like this [makes face] and they’d be like, ‘Your double chin.’ Because, you know, you’re being slammed back. So, yeah, it’s fun and it takes a lot of imagination. Sadly, I didn’t really get to be in a flying car whipping down the street. But, hopefully, it looked like I actually was in one.
Thanks to Jayden Bartels and Sam McCarthy for discussing Goosebumps: The Vanishing.
