Netflix plans spooky 2021 summer event with Fear Street movie trilogy

It seems that a series of somewhat unfortunate events has resulted in Netflix acquiring three movies based on the Fear Street book series from R.L. Stine. The movies were acquired from Disney, a new report claims, which ended up in possession of them as a result of its Fox acquisition. The movies were reportedly originally planned to be released in theaters by Fox, but several things have changed that.

Those who were kids in the 1980s and '90s likely remember R.L. Stine, the popular children's author behind the Goosebumps and Fear Street books written for young kids and teenagers, respectively. These books were small with spooky, but age-appropriate, 'horror' storylines — and Netflix, it seems, will be the latest company bringing them to video.

New reports from Deadline and Variety claim that Netflix has just sealed the deal for the acquisition of a Fear Street movie trilogy from Disney, which apparently couldn't work the movies into a theatrical release given pandemic issues, plus horror genre content isn't exactly ideal for Disney+.

The three movies are described as 'interconnected,' indicating that the trilogy has an overarching single storyline. The story is set in 1994 in Ohio, according to Deadline's report, but it will also cover two other time periods, one of which will be some time in the 1600s.

The report goes on to claim that Netflix will release the trilogy next summer as part of an overall promotion called 'The Summer of Fear.' The three movies will be released over three months, one per month, at least according to the reports. Neither Disney nor Netflix has commented on the deal, however.