Legendary Horror Writer's Underrated Classic Is Getting A Movie Adaptation 38 Years Later
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One of the most celebrated authors in horror is getting another screen adaptation, and this time, it's one of his most underrated novels.
A classic horror story, The Babysitter, by the iconic R.L. Stine, is officially getting the movie treatment nearly four decades after its original publication. The bestselling author, who is best known for creating the Goosebumps and Fear Street franchises, has had numerous stories adapted for TV and film. Now, another one of his earlier works is getting an adaptation from Tubi as the streamer continues expanding its partnership with the writer. Tubi also released a short teaser for The Babysitter on its official YouTube Channel. Check out the trailer below:
Tubi's CCO, Adam Lewinson, revealed that a live-action adaptation of The Babysitter is officially in development and that the streaming platform is aiming for a 2027 release. Trevor Calverley is attached to direct the film, while Jem Garrard, who previously wrote and directed Tubi's Pumpkinhead movies, will write the screenplay.
Originally published in 1989, The Babysitter launched a four-book horror series that continued until 1995. The upcoming adaptation centers on Jenny, a 16-year-old writer hoping to save enough money to attend a prestigious program. She accepts a babysitting position despite reports of a mysterious individual targeting teenage girls in her hometown. Her situation becomes more dangerous when she begins receiving threatening phone calls, while news of a horrifying criminal creates even more tension for readers.
The film is being produced by Blue Ice, with Lance Samuels, Joan Waricha, Jane Stine, and Garrard serving as executive producers. Dan Bernard, Yvonne Bernard, Tebogo Maila, Darren Cameron, and Adam Friedlander are attached as producers. Casting details have not been announced, and Tubi has yet to confirm a specific release date for 2027 at the time of this article's publication.
The Ultimate · Horror Quote Challenge Name That Horror Movie “They’re coming to get you, Barbara.”
☠1960s
🔪1970s
👻1980s
💀1990s
🎭2000s
01
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“I am your number one fan.”
✓ Correct! Annie Wilkes’s obsessive declaration to author Paul Sheldon in Misery — Kathy Bates won the Oscar for this role.
✗ Not quite — it’s Misery (1990). Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes delivers this line before things get very, very painful for her favorite author.
02
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“We all go a little mad sometimes.”
✓ Correct! Norman Bates’s unsettling confession in Hitchcock’s Psycho — the film that invented the slasher.
✗ Not quite — it’s Psycho (1960). Norman Bates delivers this chilling line to Marion Crane before the shower scene changes cinema forever.
03
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“Here’s Johnny!”
✓ Correct! Jack Nicholson’s terrifying ad-lib as he axes through the bathroom door in The Shining.
✗ Not quite — it’s The Shining (1980). Nicholson improvised this line while hacking through the door — Kubrick kept the cameras rolling.
04
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“They’re all gonna laugh at you!”
✓ Correct! Margaret White’s cruel warning to her daughter before prom night turns deadly in Carrie.
✗ Not quite — it’s Carrie (1976). Piper Laurie as Margaret White torments her telekinetic daughter with this prophetic warning.
05
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“One, two, Freddy’s coming for you.”
✓ Correct! The eerie children’s jump-rope rhyme that haunts the dreams of Elm Street.
✗ Not quite — it’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). The nursery rhyme warning of Freddy Krueger’s arrival. All five are iconic slashers, but only one invades your dreams.
06
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“I want to play a game.”
✓ Correct! Jigsaw’s signature greeting, delivered through his puppet Billy in Saw.
✗ Not quite — it’s Saw (2004). The Jigsaw Killer’s chilling invitation before his victims face impossible choices.
07
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“It was the boogeyman.”
✓ Correct! Laurie Strode’s terrified whisper to Dr. Loomis after surviving Michael Myers in Halloween.
✗ Not quite — it’s Halloween (1978). Laurie Strode whispers this to Dr. Loomis, who replies: “As a matter of fact, it was.”
08
Which horror movie features this iconic line?
“It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.”
✓ Correct! Buffalo Bill’s skin-crawling command to his captive in The Silence of the Lambs.
✗ Not quite — it’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Buffalo Bill delivers this disturbing line from his basement. All five films feature serial killers, but only one has this scene.
The Body Count Your Survival Score
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Did you survive the horror quiz?
The Babysitter is the most recent confirmed addition to the growing partnership between Stine and Tubi, which has already produced two adaptations inspired by the author's stories. Their collaboration was an adaptation of Pumpkinhead, which debuted in October 2025, followed by Pumpkinhead 2, which was released on October 9, 2026.
The new announcement also follows Tubi's confirmation of another upcoming Stine adaptation, Afraid of Clowns. Based on a story from the author's 1999 Nightmare Hour, the film is also scheduled to debut in 2027, giving the streaming service at least two Stine projects planned for that year.
There are currently no official release dates for Tubi's adaptations of The Babysitter and Afraid of Clowns at the time of this article's publication.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.