R.L. Stine’s THE BABYSITTER Is Getting a Horror Movie Adaptation at Tubi in 2027
Getting a babysitting gig in an R.L. Stine story is probably one of the worst decisions a teenager can make, but it certainly makes for some entertaining horror!
Tubi is bringing another of Stine’s creepy stories to life with a live-action movie adaptation of The Babysitter, based on the author's popular book series published between 1989 and 1995. The film is scheduled to premiere on the free streaming platform in 2027.
The story follows Jenny, a 16-year-old desperate to earn enough money to attend a prestigious writing program. She takes a babysitting job, which seems like a reasonable way to make some cash, except there's a prowler terrorizing teenage girls around town.
Things get increasingly dangerous when Jenny starts receiving threatening phone calls and a dangerous fugitive shows up in the area. With no idea who she can trust, Jenny begins suspecting just about everyone around her as the threats become more personal.
It's classic Stine territory, taking an ordinary teenage experience and turning it into a paranoid nightmare. Babysitting is already a pretty effective horror premise, especially when you've got a mysterious stalker, an isolated house, and a teenager wondering whether someone is watching her.
Trevor Calverley is directing the film from a screenplay by Jem Garrard, who previously wrote and directed Tubi's adaptation of Stine's Pumpkinhead.
The Babysitter is the latest project in Tubi's growing collection of R.L. Stine adaptations. The streaming service previously released Pumpkinhead and followed it up with a sequel that premiered this weekend.
Tubi also recently announced another Stine horror movie, Afraid of Clowns, based on a story from his 1999 collection Nightmare Hour. That film is also scheduled to arrive in 2027.
Written and directed by Garrard, Afraid of Clowns follows Frankie, a teenager who becomes suspicious when Ringmaster Rollo and his traveling troupe arrive in Redhaven, the same town featured in Pumpkinhead.
Their arrival appears connected to the mysterious disappearance of a child years earlier, and Frankie begins fearing that her younger brother could be the next victim. She has to convince her friends that something sinister is happening before Rollo and his clowns leave town. The film stars Frankie Honey, Ava Ferrer, Azriel Dalman, and Joe Moore.
It's fun seeing Tubi continue to mine Stine's library for horror movies, particularly stories outside his massively popular Goosebumps and Fear Street franchises. There's plenty of material to explore, and these smaller teenage thrillers could make for some entertaining horror flicks.
There's no confirmed cast or specific release date yet, but R.L. Stine's The Babysitter is coming to Tubi in 2027.