Goosebumps: The Vanishing's Blyden, La Salvia & Cooper Talk Franchise Legacy & Their Character Arcs

A new group of teens find themselves wrapped up in a new horrifying mystery in Goosebumps: The Vanishing. The Disney+ show serves as an adaptation of R.L. Stine’s iconic children’s horror novels of the same name, with the first season centering on a group of teens in a fictional small town of Washington who inadvertently unleash an evil force connected to the death of a teen from 30 years prior. The Vanishing is taking an anthology approach to the show, focusing on a new set of characters in New York and their investigation into the disappearance of a teen from 30 years prior.

Among the Goosebumps: The Vanishing‘s roster of characters is American Born Chinese alum Stony Blyden as Trey, the jock of the group who proves antagonistic to main characters, Devin and Cece, after the former begins bonding with his girlfriend, Frankie. The latter, a creative free spirit, is played by Galilea La Salvia, best known for her series regular role in Nickelodeon’s Talia in the Kitchen, as well as supporting turns in the Party Down revival and Shining Vale. Also in the group is the well-meaning, yet irresponsible, CJ, brought to life by Line of Duty and 9-1-1 alum Elijah M. Cooper.

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Alongside Blyden, La Salvia and Cooper, the ensemble Goosebumps: The Vanishing cast includes David Schwimmer, Jayden Bartels as Cece, Sam McCarthy as Devin, Francesca Noel and Ana Ortiz. Adapting everything from The Haunted Car to Stay Out of the Basement and The Girl Who Cried Monster, among others, the latest season of the Disney+ show offers a wide range of Easter eggs and fresh takes on its beloved source material.

With the season premiere right around the corner, ScreenRant interviewed Stony Blyden, Galilea La Salvia and Elijah M. Cooper to discuss Goosebumps: The Vanishing, what to expect from their character arcs this season, how it feels to be carrying on the legacy of the franchise with the new season, how they were introduced to the book series, and what their favorite title is among the source material’s history.

Carrying On The Goosebumps Legacy “Feels Incredible” For The Trio

“It’s just been an incredible experience.”

Frankie, Stony and Alex all sitting at a park bench and looking at the twins in Goosebumps The Vanishing

ScreenRant: It is great to get to chat with you all for Goosebumps: The Vanishing, I watched the first episode, and I love it already. We’ll start with Stony, then Galilea and then Elijah. Obviously, this show is based on a franchise that is very historical. How does it feel for each of you, really getting to take up the Goosebumps mantle and carry it forward for a modern audience?

Stony Blyden: It feels incredible. This is a legendary thing that we’re a part of. I personally am from Iceland, so I didn’t have Goosebumps growing up. So, like, when I came to the States 10 years ago, that was my first time getting this influx of Goosebumps, and I became a huge fan. So, to get to do this is ridiculous. I mean, it’s great.

Galilea La Salvia: Yeah, it’s so interesting, because I didn’t grow up reading the Goosebumps books during my childhood, but it just comes to show that, like, this book series has something for everyone, and for all ages. Because, let me tell you, I am in it now. I am on the Goosebumps subreddit. I am reading the books, I am just in this whole world, and the fan base is just so, so incredible. I also love seeing their theories on either season 1, or the books, and all that stuff. And there’s so much media out there, and I’m so happy I get to be part of this.

Elijah M. Cooper: Yeah, and I’m really grateful to be a part of it, too. Goosebumps, as Stony was saying, is a massive franchise, and it means a lot to so many people of so many different ages, as well. My mom, she loved the Goosebumps series, and for me to also love it, and know that kids are gonna watch this show too, and love it as well. And people all the way from 2-100, it is amazing to be here. It’s been amazing to work with these people too. It’s just been an incredible experience.

The Vanishing‘s Main Inspiration Is A Major Favorite Of The Group

They Also Tease The Wide Range Of Easter Eggs Goosebumps Fans Should Look For

Galilea La Salvia's Alex screaming at something in fear in Goosebumps The Vanishing

So, my next question is sort of a two-parter. You all came into the Goosebumps books in a different way. What did you find is your favorite of the books? And then can you tease what books we may be able to expect come this season?

Stony Blyden: I think, personally, this is also the first one that I read when I got here, and that was Stay Out of the Basement, and that’s the first episode. That’s how we jump started this whole thing. We have a lot, there’s a couple of other ones.

Galilea La Salvia: Yeah, we had Stay Out of the Basement, we had Monster Blood.

Stony Blyden: The Haunted Car’s in this one.

Galilea La Salvia: The Haunted Car.

Elijah M. Cooper: The Girl Who Cried Monster.

Galilea La Salvia: Welcome to Camp Nightmare. We have so many books in there, which is so, so fun, because fans of the series can look out for all the Easter eggs that are in it.

Stony Blyden: There’s a lot.

Galilea La Salvia: There’s a lot, yeah. [Chuckles] I read Stay Out of the Basement, because, obviously, I had to, the first two episodes are based off of it. And I’m like, “You know what? Let me get a good start to filming this series. Let me just get into this world and this mindset.” And let me tell you, the ending, why did I actually get goosebumps? [Chuckles]

I was like, “Wait, guys, guys, wait, they’re onto something.” But it was also really cool seeing, like, it is based off of this book, but it also kind of brings its own twists and turns into it, which is really fun, as well. So, seeing those differences was also something that I really liked.

Elijah M. Cooper: Yeah, to kind of piggyback off of what she was saying, we have a lot of these different Goosebumps stories, of course, that manifest themselves in this season. I guess the general consensus is Stay Out of the Basement.

Galilea La Salvia: It’s just iconic.

Elijah M. Cooper: It really is, it really, truly is. And I was a Scholastic Book Fair kid, you know, so going there, getting the books, it was a full-circle moment.

Trey Will Have A Turning Point This Season

“…he’s kind of forced to face himself in that way…”

Stony Blyden as Trey looking curiously into a freezer in Goosebumps The Vanishing

So Stony, I’ll turn to you next. One thing that I loved about what season 1 did was characters who, similar to Trey, sort of seemed like the alpha male, bro-y type do get more complex narratives as the show goes on, and a chance at redemption. Trey starts off as kind of the ruffian for the siblings. What can you tell me about the rest of his arc for this season?

Stony Blyden: Yeah, when we meet him, he is definitely this bully, but you can easily see that it’s just based on the insecurities that he has, and the jealousy towards Devon and Frankie and their relationship. But, there’s a certain moment in this season where he’s kind of forced to face himself in that way, and either get better or get worse, and he really wants to maybe get better. So, there’s always a development for him, I think, that we might see in the season.

Frankie’s Jump From Trey To Devin Has A Deeper Meaning For Her

“…sometimes, she doesn’t really realize that she’s maybe hurting someone else…”

Galilea La Salvia's Frankie smiling while working the register at a coffee shop in Goosebumps The Vanishing

Galilea, I’ll turn to you next. I find Frankie so interesting in that she seems to just care about people more than anything else, and is drawn to spirits. Can you tell me what is creating that conflict between whether to go with Trey or whether to go with Devin throughout the season?

Galilea La Salvia: Yeah, I love this question, because when I was approaching the role, I kind of saw her as a person who just really values her relationships. I think that when she’s with someone, that is kind of just her person, and she puts everything into that person, and no one else exists when she’s with this person. I think that, sometimes, she doesn’t really realize that she’s maybe hurting someone else because she is doing that.

So, that was just something so interesting, because I never saw her as this wishy-washy person, but more so as someone who truly is having this really hard dilemma. Because Trey represents her home life and represents the safety of living in Gravesend, and her bubble. Devin comes into town, and it’s this new thing, and she’s like, “Hmm, maybe I can have this life, and maybe I can be adventurous and rebellious and kind of go that route.” So I think she definitely has a really, really tough choice to make this season.

About Goosebumps: The Vanishing

Goosebumps: The Vanishing begins when twins Cece and Devin Brewer are sent to spend a summer in Gravesend, Brooklyn, with their divorced dad. 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.

Emmy Award nominee David Schwimmer leads a brand-new cast as Anthony Brewer, a former botany professor who has immersed himself in science and mystery, alongside Ana Ortiz as police detective Jen, Jayden Bartels as Cece, Sam McCarthy as Devin, Elijah M. Cooper as CJ, Galilea La Salvia as Frankie, Francesca Noel as Alex, and Stony Blyden as Trey.

Nicholas Stoller and Rob Letterman developed Goosebumps: The Vanishing, along with showrunner Hilary Winston. All three serve as executive producers alongside Neal H. Moritz, Scholastic Entertainment’s Iole Lucchese and Caitlin Friedman, Pavun Shetty, Conor Welch, Erin O’Malley, Karl Frankenfield and James Eagan.

Stay tuned for our other Goosebumps: The Vanishing interviews with:

  • David Schwimmer
  • Jayden Bartels & Sam McCarthy
  • Ana Ortiz & Francesca Noel
  • Co-Creator Rob Letterman & Showrunner Hilary Winston

Goosebumps: The Vanishing will begin streaming in full on Disney+ and Hulu on January 10!

Source: ScreenRant Plus