LAS VEGAS – When bringing monsters to life on film in the 21st century, directors have more tools in their toolbox than ever before — and as “Goosebumps” director Rob Letterman and producer Neal H. Moritz tell it, you can expect lots of digital effects wizardry in their forthcoming meta-movie based on R.L. Stine's YA book franchise.
“We had a lot of guys in green suits running around the set,” Moritz told us while promoting the film at CinemaCon. Added Letterman: “It was a solid mix [between CGI and practical effects]. There's a lot of CGI visual effects, but at the same time Slappy [the dummy] is for the most part real, a puppeteered ventriloquist dummy, cause we wanted to have that feel.”
Speaking of Slappy, the pint-sized villain made an appearance during the first meeting between the creative team and Stine, played in the film by Jack Black.
“Slappy sat on Jack's lap, next to R.L. Stine. And Neal took a picture,” said Letterman. “We shoulda brought that. It was amazing.”
Speaking of Black and Stine, it sounds like the actor and author made a strong connection from the very beginning.
“They were like two peas in a pod…It was really almost like an alter-ego in a way,” said Moritz of the instant chemistry between the two.
To hear more from Letterman and Moritz, including why the project proved such a tough nut to crack creatively, watch the full interview above.
“Goosebumps” hits theaters on October 16.