Auburn native Conor Welch is an executive producer of the new “Goosebumps” television series. Jarrad Paul
Reader beware, you’re in for a scare. That was the tagline for the mega-popular 1990s young adult book series “Goosebumps,” which turned many a tween into rabid page-turners, and onto the horror genre at the same time.
Conor Welch, growing up in Auburn, was among them. So was this Sun Journal reporter.
But with 18 years of Hollywood credentials under his belt, Welch found himself as an executive producer of a new “Goosebumps” television series, premiering this week — Friday the 13th — on Disney+ and Hulu.
For Welch, it was a full circle moment and a reminder of why he pursued his career in the first place.
“I read the books pretty much as they came out 30 years ago,” he said over Zoom from Los Angeles. “And now my oldest daughter is reading them for the first time. To be part of a series based on such an iconic book series is very cool.”
Welch, 40, attended Auburn schools until shifting to North Yarmouth Academy for middle school and high school. He was big into sports, but his other major passion was movies. He said “Goosebumps” writer R.L. Stine was a seminal storyteller for him early on, because he “made reading feel fun as opposed to feeling like homework.”
But, “Goosebumps” also served as a steppingstone to Maine legend Stephen King, whose books have inspired many film and television adaptations.
After high school, he attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he found an avenue into the Hollywood world. He moved to Los Angeles in 2005, and his first job was an assistant at a talent agency, grabbing coffee and picking up dry cleaning. From there, he’s worked his way up as a producer, being responsible for putting together film and TV projects.
Welch said his parents moved to Portland about 15 years ago, so Portland is his “home base” when he returns to visit roughly twice a year.
For the past six years, he’s headed Stoller Global Solutions as the producing partner for writer and filmmaker Nick Stoller, who has directed movies such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and has writing credits on several hit movies, including “The Muppets” (2011). Stoller developed and wrote the new “Goosebumps” series along with Rob Letterman, who directed the 2015 “Goosebumps” film starring Jack Black.
Welch said others involved in the creation of the series were also big fans of the books growing up, but they wanted the series to feel “fresh and contemporary and surprising” rather than rehashing the previous adaptations. For that reason, the creators decided to “age it up” a bit.
A still is taken from the new “Goosebumps” TV series that premieres this week — Friday the 13th. Auburn native Conor Welch is an executive producer. Disney/David Astorga
So, rather than middle school students, the new series follows a group of five high school students as they investigate the death three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle, and in the process unearth a variety of supernatural forces and secrets from their parents’ past.
The characters are intertwined, with each episode based on a “Goosebumps” story. The first five episodes are inspired by some of the most iconic books, and focus on a different main character. The first episode is “Say Cheese and Die!”
The series features a cast of up-and-comers playing the teen characters, plus actors such as Justin Long, Rachael Harris and Rob Huebel.
One of the official trailers for the series shows a scene where Long — not new to the horror comedy genre — is possessed by a ghost. There also are some legitimate scares and some gross-out scenes inspired by the books.
Welch said they wanted to build the horror around relatable teen experiences and issues, which he said R.L. Stine’s books did so well.
“It always started with a very relatable nugget,” he said, adding that they also wanted relatable adult characters, which mirrors the fact that the original “Goosebumps” fans are now hovering around their 40s.
Prior to partnering with Stoller, Welch served as vice president of comedy development at Fox Broadcasting Co. While there, he developed a number of half-hour sitcoms, including “The Grinder,” starring Rob Lowe. He was also previously the head of feature film for Funny or Die, a comedy video website and film/television production company.
“Goosebumps” was filmed in Vancouver and the location plays an important role in setting the overall feel of the show. Welch was on set for some of the filming. About two weeks was spent for each of the 10 episodes.
“You spend, often times, years developing a project,” he said. “So, to be on set and see all the hard work pay off right in front of you is a really thrilling thing.”
Actors Justin Long and Rachael Harris are shown in the “Goosebumps” episode “You Can’t Scare Me.” Auburn native Conor Welch is an executive producer of the series. Disney/David Astorga
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