R.L. Stine’s Afraid of Clowns Sets Its Sights on Tubi in 2027
Redhaven survived the Pumpkinheads. Now R.L. Stine is sending in the clowns with a new Tubi Original horror movie coming in 2027.
Redhaven really cannot catch a break. The town has already become home to R.L. Stine's particular brand of Halloween trouble, and now a mysterious troupe is preparing to roll in. Because clearly Redhaven needed another reason to keep the porch light on.
R.L. Stine’s Afraid of Clowns is officially coming to Tubi in 2027, marking the third collaboration between Tubi and the legendary Goosebumps author. This time, Ringmaster Rollo and his troupe arrive in Redhaven with more than balloon animals on the itinerary. Frankie begins to suspect their appearance is connected to a child who disappeared years earlier, so when she becomes convinced her little brother could be next, she has to get her friends on board before he disappears with the clowns for good.
Suddenly, coulrophobia feels pretty reasonable.
Redhaven Is Trading Pumpkins for Clowns
Afraid of Clowns may introduce a new nightmare, but the town should already look familiar to R.L. Stine fans on Tubi.
R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead first brought us to Redhaven in 2025, where Sam's younger brother Finn vanished and everyone except Sam forgot he ever existed. A harvest curse, some extremely suspicious pumpkins, and one very complicated Halloween followed.
Redhaven's story continues with R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead 2, arriving October 9 with another round of supernatural trouble for the town. Afraid of Clowns will return to the same spooky corner of Stine's universe in 2027, only this time the pumpkins are making room for Ringmaster Rollo and his troupe.
Jem Garrard, who wrote and directed both Pumpkinhead movies, is returning to do the same for Afraid of Clowns. Garrard has described staying in Redhaven as a chance to explore another creepy corner of the town without simply repeating the Pumpkinhead mythology. Same town, entirely new reason to avoid going outside after dark.
This time, Frankie Honey, Ava Ferrer, Azriel Dalman, Joe Moore, and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 winner Jimbo are stepping into the nightmare.
Yes, Jimbo. In a movie about a sinister clown troupe. We have questions.
R.L. Stine Has Entered His Tubi Era
Three movies in three years is starting to look suspiciously like a pattern, and we're not complaining.
Afraid of Clowns follows the 2025 debut of R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead and this year's Pumpkinhead 2, continuing a run of original Tubi nightmares built around the kind of gateway horror Stine has been serving generations of readers. There’s a reason the pairing makes so much sense: Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson has described Stine as many fans' introduction to fear that eventually became a lifelong love of horror. Anyone who ever read a Goosebumps book later at night than they should have probably understands the pipeline.
We've already rounded up five R.L. Stine movies and shows to watch on Tubi, so there's plenty of homework waiting before Ringmaster Rollo gets to town. Terror on Tubi also keeps the horror going year-round, with Pumpkinhead currently sitting alongside plenty more ways to ruin a perfectly good night's sleep.
As for Stine himself? He knows exactly what he's doing to everyone with a clown phobia. “Clowns have been scaring kids long before I ever got to them,” Stine said in announcing the movie. “I just gave them a reason to be afraid of the ones in Redhaven.”
Fair point. Redhaven, maybe start locking the doors now.