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Fear Street (film series)

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Fear Street
Official film series logo
Based onFear Street
by R. L. Stine
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
2021–present
Running time
330 minutes (Total of 3 films)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fear Street is a series of American horror films based on R. L. Stine's book series of the same name. Involving slasher and supernatural elements, the films' overall story revolves around teenagers who work to break the curse that has been over their town for hundreds of years. The first three installments were directed by Leigh Janiak from scripts and stories she co-wrote with other contributors, while the upcoming fourth film will be directed by Matt Palmer from a script he co-wrote with Donald McLeary. Produced and developed by 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment, the film's distribution rights were eventually acquired by Netflix following The Walt Disney Company's purchase of 21st Century Fox.[1]

The first three films were shot back-to-back, and were released on a weekly basis as Netflix Original Films in July 2021 to positive reviews. The series will continue with an upcoming fourth film in development.

Development

[edit]

In October 1997, Hollywood Pictures struck a deal to acquire the Fear Street series of books, which were set to be developed with Parachute Entertainment as a Scream-like feature franchise. Developments never materialized.[2]

In October 2015, a film based on Stine's Fear Street series was being developed by 20th Century Fox and Chernin Entertainment.[3] On February 13, 2017, The Tracking Board reported that Kyle Killen would write the script for the film.[4][5] In July, the adaptation was announced as a trilogy, with Leigh Janiak directing, and rewriting the script with her partner Phil Graziadei. Zak Olkewicz was also drafting a script.[6][7] The films were to be shot back to back, with the intention of releasing them to theaters one month apart.[6] Janiak describes the format as a "hybrid of traditional television content and movies," with each installment intended to both have a satisfying ending and connecting to the larger story.[8]

The series was reported to be centered around a young lesbian couple, navigating their rocky relationship when they are targeted by horrors in their small town.[9] In March 2019, filming began in Atlanta and East Point, Georgia,[10][11] with some parts filmed at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge in August 2019.[12] The shoot lasted for 106 days, wrapping in September 2019.[13]

In April 2020, Chernin Entertainment ended their distribution deal with 20th Century Studios and made a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix, resulting in the latter distributing the trilogy.[14]

Films

[edit]
Film U.S. release date Director Screenwriters Story by Producers
Fear Street Part One: 1994 July 2, 2021 (2021-07-02) Leigh Janiak Leigh Janiak & Phil Graziadei Leigh Janiak, Phil Graziadei & Kyle Killen Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and David Ready
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 July 9, 2021 (2021-07-09) Leigh Janiak & Zak Olkewicz Leigh Janiak, Phil Graziadei & Zak Olkewicz
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 July 16, 2021 (2021-07-16) Leigh Janiak, Phil Graziadei & Kate Trefry
Fear Street: Prom Queen 2025 Matt Palmer Matt Palmer & Donald McLeary Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and Kori Adelson

Fear Street Part One: 1994 (2021)

[edit]
Main article: Fear Street Part One: 1994

After a series of brutal slayings, a group of teenagers take on an evil force that has plagued their notorious town for centuries.[15]

The film was released on July 2, 2021.[16] Janiak describes it as influenced by 1990s slasher films, especially Scream.[8]

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)

[edit]
Main article: Fear Street Part Two: 1978

In the cursed town of Shadyside, a killer's murder spree terrorizes Camp Nightwing and turns a summer of fun into a gruesome fight for survival.[15]

The film was released on July 9, 2021.[16] Janiak states that she was influenced by Friday the 13th.[8]

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (2021)

[edit]
Main article: Fear Street Part Three: 1666

Thrust back to 1666, Deena learns the truth about Sarah Fier. Back in 1994, the friends fight for their lives — and Shadyside’s future.

The film was released on July 16, 2021.[16] Janiak compares it to The New World.[8]

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

[edit]
Main article: Fear Street: Prom Queen

In July 2021, director Leigh Janiak expressed interest in expanding the film series beyond the trilogy of movies. She had stated to be interested in adapting a slasher film that takes place during the 1950s and centers on Harry Rooker / The Milkman. Cast members similarly expressed interest in returning.[17]

In July 2022, Stine stated that there are discussions ongoing for additional films being developed in the series.[18] Later that month, Bloody Disgusting confirmed this statement with Netflix, stating that official plans would be announced in the future.[19] By December, it was announced that Chloe Okuno will serve as director on the next Fear Street installment, and that Chernin Entertainment would return as one of the production studios.[20] By October 2023, Stine stated that the film series will continue with additional Fear Street installments in development.[21] In November of the same year, Scott Stuber, Head of Film at Netflix, confirmed a fourth Fear Street film was being written.[22] In January 2024, Stine announced that the next movie would be an adaptation of his novel The Prom Queen from the original Fear Street book series.[23] In March 2024, the project was officially announced with the title of Fear Street: Prom Queen. Matt Palmer will direct the film, from a script he co-wrote with Donald McLeary. The plot will take place during 1988; during prom season the girls of Shadyside High compete for dance royalty, though everything changes when an outsider joins the competition one by one people begin disappearing.[24] The cast was announced to star India Fowler, Suzanna Son, Fina Strazza, David Iacono, Ella Rubin, Chris Klein, Lili Taylor and Katherine Waterston.[24]

Recurring cast and characters

[edit]
List indicators

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

  • An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
  •  A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
  •  C indicates a cameo role.
  •  O indicates an older version of the character.
  •  Y indicates a younger version of the character.
Character Films
The Fear Street Trilogy
Fear Street Part One: 1994 Fear Street Part Two: 1978 Fear Street Part Three: 1666
Deena Johnson Kiana Madeira
Sam Fraser Olivia Scott Welch
Josh Johnson Benjamin Flores Jr.
Nick Goode Ashley Zukerman Ted SutherlandY
Ashley ZukermanOC 		Ashley ZukermanO
Ted SutherlandYA
C. Berman
Christine "Ziggy" Berman 		Gillian JacobsOC Sadie SinkY
Gillian JacobsO 		Gillian JacobsO
Sadie SinkYA
Sarah Fier Elizabeth ScopelC Elizabeth Scopel
Kiana Madeira
Mary Lane Jordana Spiro
Ruby Lane Jordyn DiNatale
Kate Schmidt Julia Rehwald Julia RehwaldA
Simon Kalivoda Fred Hechinger Fred HechingerA
Martin P. Franklin Darrell Britt-Gibson Darrell Britt-Gibson
Heather Watkins Maya Hawke Maya HawkeA
Ryan Torres
Skull Mask 		David W. Thompson David W. ThompsonA
Mrs. Fraser Lacey Camp Lacey Camp
Cindy Berman Emily Rudd Emily RuddA
Alice Hart Ryan Simpkins Ryan SimpkinsA
Tommy Slater
The Nightwing Killer 		McCabe SlyeA McCabe Slye McCabe SlyeA
Sheila Watson Chiara Aurelia Chiara AureliaA
Arnie Sam Brooks Sam BrooksA
Joan Jacqi Vené Jacqi VenéA
Will Goode Matthew Zuk Brandon SpinkY
Matthew ZukOC 		Matthew Zuk
Cyrus Miller
The Pastor 		Michael ChandlerA Michael Chandler

Release

[edit]

The first film was scheduled to be released theatrically in June 2020,[25] but was pulled from the schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[26] In April 2020, Chernin Entertainment ended their distribution deal with 20th Century Studios and made a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix.[27] By August 2020, Netflix had acquired the distribution rights to the Fear Street trilogy. The films were released exclusively as Netflix Original Films.[28]

In May 2021, the official trailer released by Netflix announced the respective films' credits, release dates, and official titles, as: Fear Street: Part One – 1994, Fear Street: Part Two – 1978, and Fear Street: Part Three – 1666. The trilogy of films is R-rated, with original novel series writer R.L. Stine praising the direction and adaptations of his books.[16]

The films were released over a three-week span: July 2, July 9, and July 16.[16][29]

Additional crew and production details

[edit]
Film Composers Cinematographer Editor Production companies Distributing company Running time
Fear Street Part One: 1994 Marco Beltrami & Marcus Trumpp Caleb Heymann Rachel Goodlett Katz 20th Century Studios
Chernin Entertainment
Netflix Original Films 		Netflix 1 hr 47 mins
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 Marco Beltrami & Brandon Roberts 1 hr 50 mins
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 Marco Beltrami, Marcus Trumpp & Anna Drubich 1 hr 53 mins
Fear Street: Prom Queen TBA TBA TBA Chernin Entertainment,
Netflix Original Films 		TBA

Reception

[edit]
For more details on the reception of each film, see the "Reception" section on each film's article.

Critical and public response

[edit]
Each film and television series is linked to the "Critical response" section of its article.
Film Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Fear Street Part One: 1994 84% (118 reviews)[30] 67 (20 reviews)[31]
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 88% (108 reviews)[32] 61 (16 reviews)[33]
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 89% (99 reviews)[34] 68 (15 reviews)[35]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
2022 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Movie The Fear Street Trilogy Nominated [36]
MTV Movie & TV Awards Most Frightened Performance Sadie Sink Nominated [citation needed]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McNarry, Dave (August 11, 2020). "Netflix Buys R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' Trilogy From Disney". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  2. ^ "Stine's 'Fear Street' haunts H'wood Pics". Variety. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Sneider, Jeff (October 9, 2015). "'Goosebumps' Author R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' Books Headed to Big Screen (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  4. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 11, 2020). "Will 2021 Be The Summer Of Fear? Netflix Eyes That Slot After Landing R.L. Stine 'Fear Street' Movie Trilogy From Disney & Chernin; Leigh Janiak Directed The Trio". Deadline. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ^ Sneider, Jeff (February 13, 2017). "Kyle Killen to Write R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' Movie for Fox, Chernin (Exclusive)". The Tracking Board. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Kit, Borys (July 13, 2017). "Fox Developing R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' as Theatrical Movie Series Released Months Apart". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  7. ^ McNary, Dave (July 13, 2017). "R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' in Development for Three Fox Movies". Variety. Archived from the original on March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d Wong, Stevie (July 6, 2021). "Leigh Janiak Redefines 'Netflix And Chill' With Horror Trilogy 'Fear Street': It's "A Hybrid Of Traditional Television Content And Movies"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  9. ^ Sneider, Jeff (February 27, 2019). "Exclusive: R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' Trilogy to Star Kiana Madeira, Olivia Welch". Collider. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  10. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (March 12, 2019). "'Fear Street': Benjamin Flores, Jr. Joins Fox and Chernin Entertainment's R.L. Stine Adaptation". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  11. ^ Williams, Dorjan (March 13, 2019). "East Point has nothing to fear but 'Fear' itself". WXIA-TV. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  12. ^ Walljasper, Matt (August 29, 2019). "What's filming in Atlanta now? Coming 2 America, After We Collided, The Underground Railroad, and more". Atlanta. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  13. ^ Ho, Rodney (October 10, 2019). "Active Georgia TV/film productions drop to 35 vs. 42 in October 2018". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  14. ^ "Chernin Entertainment, Netflix Sign First-Look Deal for Film". The Wrap. April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Squires, John (February 27, 2019). "Kiana Madeira and Olivia Welch Set to Star in Upcoming 'Fear Street' Movie Trilogy". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d e Santer, Kristen (May 19, 2021). "First 'Fear Street' Trailer Reveals Netflix's Ambitious Horror Trilogy, Which Will Be Released This Summer". Collider. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  17. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (July 2, 2021). "Fear Street Director and Cast on the Spinoffs They Want to See". Comicbook.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  18. ^ Yahoo! Entertainment Staff (July 15, 2022). "'Goosebumps' at 30: R.L. Stine on the blockbuster book franchise and why he's 'Stephen King for kids'". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  19. ^ Miska, Brad (July 17, 2022). "'Fear Street' – Netflix Welcomes Fans Back to Shadyside; More Films in Development!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  20. ^ Sneider, Jeff (December 15, 2022). "Exclusive: Watcher Helmer Chloe Okuno to Direct New Fear Street Movie for Netflix". Above the Line. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  21. ^ Yandoli, Krystie Lee (October 14, 2023). "'Goosebumps' Author R.L. Stine: 'The World Has Gotten Scarier'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Devore, Britta (November 9, 2023). "New Standalone 'Fear Street' Movie in the Works at Netflix [Exclusive]". Collider. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  23. ^ Wu, Valerie (January 13, 2024). "New 'Fear Street' Movie in the Works at Netflix, Author R.L. Stine Says". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Squires, John (March 26, 2024). "'Fear Street: Prom Queen' – Meet the Ensemble Cast of Netflix's Next R.L. Stine Horror Movie (Exclusive)". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Cavanaugh, Patrick (January 25, 2019). "'Fear Street' Movie Based on R.L. Stine Book Snags Director". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  26. ^ McNary, Dave (August 11, 2020). "Netflix Buys R.L. Stine's 'Fear Street' Trilogy From Disney". Variety. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  27. ^ Verhoeven, Beatrice (8 April 2020). "Chernin Entertainment, Netflix Sign First-Look Deal for Film". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 14, 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  28. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 11, 2020). "Will 2021 Be The Summer Of Fear? Netflix Eyes That Slot After Landing R.L. Stine 'Fear Street' Movie Trilogy From Disney & Chernin; Leigh Janiak Directed The Trio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  29. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 27, 2021). "Netflix Unveils Summer Movie Slate That Includes New 'Bob Ross' Documentary And Footage From Upcoming Films Like 'He's All That' And Kevin Hart's 'Fatherhoood'". Deadline. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  30. ^ "Fear Street Part One: 1994". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 29, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  31. ^ "Fear Street Part One: 1994". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  32. ^ "Fear Street Part Two: 1978". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 29, 2024. Edit this at Wikidata
  33. ^ "Fear Street Part Two: 1978". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  34. ^ "Fear Street Part Three: 1666". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 29, 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  35. ^ "Fear Street Part Three: 1666". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  36. ^ "The Nominees for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards". GLAAD. 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
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