Connect with us

Entertainment

Justin Long Proves He Is Our Scream King — and the ‘Goosebumps’ EPs Agree on October 27, 2023 at 10:52 pm Us Weekly

Published

on

Disney/David Astorga

Justin Long has left quite an impression playing a possessed teacher on Goosebumps, which is just one of many projects proving his status as a scream king.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, executive producers Pavun Shetty and Conor Welch praised Long’s approach to the role of Mr. Bratt — a.k.a the body Harold Biddle takes over for the season.

“We were super lucky to get Justin for this role. He has done a lot of comedy, a lot of adolescent comedy and coming-of-age comedy too. But he has also done real horror,” Shetty said. “He did Jeepers Creepers, which is a super scary adult movie. He was [also] just coming off Barbarian too, where he got to be goofy but also was super intense.”

Advertisement

Shetty complimented Long’s ability to seamlessly transition from one genre to another, adding, “He [can do] comedic stuff and horror at the same time. And luckily he’s a really gifted physical actor too. That played a lot into this role.”

Related: Every ‘Goosebumps’ Books Easter Egg Featured in Disney+&’s TV Adaptation

Advertisement
Goosebumps proves that creating a successful TV adaptation is all about incorporating the source material while still putting an original spin on the story. The spooky series, which is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, is the newest take on R. L. Stine‘s iconic book franchise. Goosebumps follows five teenagers who must work together after accidentally […]

Goosebumps, which is based on horror books written by R.L. Stine, focuses on a group of teens who accidentally release supernatural forces from a haunted house. They subsequently learns that their parents’ connection to a murder in 1993 triggered the unexplained evil, which they must recapture before it is too late.

Long, 45, plays English teacher Mr. Bratt who moves to Port Lawrence after inheriting the creepy Biddle house. His body is quickly snatched by the ghost of Harold Biddle — the teenager who died in the house in 1993 — and Mr. Bratt ends up trapped in his own mind.

Disney Plus/YouTube

“He’s literally haunted by the ghost of a 16-year-old kid that takes over his body. So a lot of [the acting involves] that mental strain. But it’s also his body learning how to act while it’s being possessed,” Shetty continued. “He really jumped in. He threw himself against lockers as he was banging his head on things. He was transforming between a kid and an adult trying to fight himself.”

Advertisement

The executive producer noted that Long was “so adept” at transitioning between comedy and horror.

Related: Horror Movie Stars: Where Are They Now?

Advertisement
Whatever happened to the Candyman? Or that little kid in The Shining? Find out where horror movie stars, who appeared in chill-inducing flicks like Halloween, The Shining, Poltergeist, and Friday the 13th, are today.

“[That] was key for this role and key for every role really because we were trying to tow that line of scary and funny. It was important to us that the kids — but also the adults — were able to land a joke [and] to have comedic timing,” Shetty told Us. “But also [they had to] be able to really lean into the drama as well.”

In addition to Long’s scene stealing presence, the creative team behind Goosebumps prioritized bringing on new faces as the show’s leads. Zack Morris, Isa Briones, Miles McKenna, Ana Yi Puig and Will Price ultimately rounded out the cast.

Disney/David Astorga

“We literally auditioned hundreds of teenagers and young adults. It was important to us to not have super familiar faces as the main high school aged ensemble. We just really lucked out that the five that we cast immediately found a chemistry,” Welch noted. “The idea of the characters is that most of them come from different backgrounds, even though they’re from the same small town. They probably wouldn’t sit together at the same lunch table. But as they realize that each of them is haunted by things, they come together in order to solve the mystery and save the town.”

Advertisement

Related: Coming of Age! ‘Riverdale,’ More Iconic TV Shows Based in High School

The teenage era! Over the years, shows like Riverdale and Heartstopper have found their fanbases by telling stories set in high school. In 2017, viewers were introduced to the iconic characters from Archie Comics as they investigated their small town amid a mysterious murder. Even though the main group of friends were established students at […]

He concluded: “We also wanted to sort of subvert some of the familiar Breakfast Club type high school tropes because it became clear that contemporary teenagers and the contemporary high school experience is not segmented by jocks and bookworms and wallflowers. It was important to us that we subvert those expectations and that there be much more depth to each of these characters, where we present them in a surprising way. We were very, very lucky in the actors that we got — they just absolutely knocked it out of the park.”

Advertisement

New episodes of Goosebumps are released weekly every Friday on Disney+ and Hulu.

Disney/David Astorga Justin Long has left quite an impression playing a possessed teacher on Goosebumps, which is just one of many projects proving his status as a scream king. During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, executive producers Pavun Shetty and Conor Welch praised Long’s approach to the role of Mr. Bratt — a.k.a the body 

​   Us Weekly Read More 

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

What We Can Learn Inside 50 Cent’s Explosive Diddy Documentary: 5 Reasons You Should Watch

Published

on

50 Cent’s new Netflix docuseries about Sean “Diddy” Combs is more than a headline-grabbing exposé; it is a meticulous breakdown of how power, celebrity, and silence can collide in the entertainment industry.

Across its episodes, the series traces Diddy’s rise, the allegations that followed him for years, and the shocking footage and testimonies now forcing a wider cultural reckoning.

For viewers, it offers not just drama, but lessons about media literacy, accountability, and how society treats survivors when a superstar is involved.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

1. It Chronicles Diddy’s Rise and Fall – And How Power Warps Reality

The docuseries follows Combs from hitmaker and business icon to a figure facing serious criminal conviction and public disgrace, mapping out decades of influence, branding, and behind-the-scenes behavior. Watching that arc shows how money, fame, and industry relationships can shield someone from scrutiny and delay accountability, even as disturbing accusations accumulate.

Rapper 50 Cent pictured in Tup Tup Palace night club with owners James Jukes and Matt LoveDough, Newcastle, UK, 7th November 2015

2. Never-Before-Seen Footage Shows How Narratives Are Managed

Exclusive footage of Diddy in private settings and in the tense days around his legal troubles reveals how carefully celebrity narratives are shaped, even in crisis.

Viewers can learn to question polished statements and recognize that what looks spontaneous in public is often the result of strategy, damage control, and legal calculation.

HCFF
HCFF

3. Survivors’ Stories Highlight Patterns of Abuse and Silence

Interviews with alleged victims, former staff, and industry insiders describe patterns of control, fear, and emotional or physical harm that were long whispered about but rarely aired in this detail. Their stories underline how difficult it is to speak out against a powerful figure, teaching viewers why many survivors delay disclosure and why consistent patterns across multiple accounts matter.

4. 50 Cent’s Approach Shows Storytelling as a Tool for Accountability

As executive producer, 50 Cent uses his reputation and platform to push a project that leans into uncomfortable truths rather than protecting industry relationships. The series demonstrates how documentary storytelling can challenge established power structures, elevate marginalized voices, and pressure institutions to respond when traditional systems have failed.

5. The Cultural Backlash Reveals How Society Handles Celebrity Accountability

Reactions to the doc—ranging from people calling it necessary and brave to others dismissing it as a vendetta or smear campaign—expose how emotionally invested audiences can be in defending or condemning a famous figure. Watching that debate unfold helps viewers see how fandom, nostalgia, and bias influence who is believed, and why conversations about “cancel culture” often mask deeper questions about justice and who is considered too powerful to fall.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

South Park’s Christmas Episode Delivers the Antichrist

Published

on

A new Christmas-themed episode of South Park is scheduled to air with a central plot in which Satan is depicted as preparing for the birth of an Antichrist figure. The premise extends a season-long narrative arc that has involved Satan, Donald Trump, and apocalyptic rhetoric, positioning this holiday episode as a culmination of those storylines rather than a stand‑alone concept.

Episode premise and season context

According to published synopses and entertainment coverage, the episode frames the Antichrist as part of a fictional storyline that blends religious symbolism with commentary on politics, media, and cultural fear. This follows earlier Season 28 episodes that introduced ideas about Trump fathering an Antichrist child and tech billionaire Peter Thiel obsessing over prophecy and end‑times narratives. The Christmas setting is presented as a contrast to the darker themes, reflecting the series’ pattern of pairing holiday imagery with controversial subject matter.

HCFF
HCFF

Public and political reactions

Coverage notes that some figures connected to Donald Trump’s political orbit have criticized the season’s portrayal of Trump and his allies, describing the show as relying on shock tactics rather than substantive critique. Commentators highlight that these objections are directed more at the depiction of real political figures and the show’s tone than at the specific theology of the Antichrist storyline.

At the time of reporting, there have not been widely reported, detailed statements from major religious leaders focused solely on this Christmas episode, though religion-focused criticism of South Park in general has a long history.

Media and cultural commentary

Entertainment outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, Slate, and USA Today describe the Antichrist arc as part of South Park’s ongoing use of Trump-era and tech-world politics as material for satire.

These reports emphasize that the show’s treatment of the Antichrist, Satan, and prophecy is designed as exaggerated commentary rather than doctrinal argument, while also acknowledging that many viewers may see the storyline as offensive or excessive.

Viewer guidance and content advisory

South Park is rated TV‑MA and is intended for adult audiences due to strong language, explicit themes, and frequent use of religious and political satire. Viewers who are sensitive to depictions of Satan, the Antichrist, or parodies involving real political figures may find this episode particularly objectionable, while others may view it as consistent with the show’s long‑running approach to controversial topics. As with previous episodes, individual responses are likely to vary widely, and the episode is best understood as part of an ongoing satirical series rather than a factual or theological statement.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Sydney Sweeney Finally Confronts the Plastic Surgery Rumors

Published

on

Sydney Sweeney has decided she is finished watching strangers on the internet treat her face like a forensic project. After years of side‑by‑side screenshots, “then vs now” TikToks, and long comment threads wondering what work she has supposedly had done, the actor is now addressing the plastic surgery rumors directly—and using them to say something larger about how women are looked at in Hollywood and online.

Sweeney at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere of Christy

Growing Up on Camera vs. “Before and After” Culture

Sweeney points out that people are often mistaking normal changes for procedures: she grew up on camera, her roles now come with big‑budget glam teams, and her body has shifted as she has trained, aged, and worked nonstop. Yet every new red‑carpet photo gets folded into a narrative that assumes surgeons, not time, are responsible. Rather than walking through a checklist of what is “real,” she emphasizes how bizarre it is that internet detectives comb through pores, noses, and jawlines as if they are owed an explanation for every contour of a woman’s face.

HCFF
HCFF

The Real Problem Isn’t Her Face

By speaking up, Sweeney is redirecting the conversation away from her features and toward the culture that obsesses over them.

She argues that the real issue isn’t whether an actress has had work done, but why audiences feel so entitled to dissect her body as public property in the first place.

For her, the constant speculation is less about curiosity and more about control—another way to tell women what they should look like and punish them when they do not fit. In calling out that dynamic, Sweeney isn’t just defending herself; she is forcing fans and followers to ask why tearing apart someone else’s appearance has become such a popular form of entertainment.


Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending