29 Years Ago, Jeff Goldblum Starred in a Horror Game Based On a Hit Kids’ Series

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I’ve been a Jeff Goldblum fan for ages! He’s been in so many great movies, from huge hits like Independence Day to classic horror like The Fly. But I think a lot of people my age first really fell in love with him as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park back in ’93 – he was amazing, and thankfully came back for more! With such a fantastic career, it’s easy to forget some of his more unusual roles. Did you know he did something really weird back in 1996…?

It’s pretty common now to see big-name actors in games – like Norman Reedus in Death Stranding or Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077. But back in the ’90s, that kind of thing almost never happened. Voice acting and motion capture weren’t really a thing yet. So, it’s wild to me that Jeff Goldblum actually had a video game role back then, and almost nobody even noticed! It totally flew under the radar.

Jeff Goldblum’s First Video Game Role Was A Goosebumps Game

In 1996, Jeff Goldblum was a successful actor starring in popular movies, but he also chose to take on unique and less prominent roles. One of these was in the video game Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland, the first game ever created based on R.L. Stine’s popular Goosebumps book series.

This game is a continuation of the Goosebumps book, One Day at HorrorLand – the sixteenth installment in the series. It also takes inspiration from the Goosebumps TV show that was popular on Fox Kids when the game came out. The story begins with a family stuck in a scary amusement park overrun with actual monsters, and the game follows up on that, with characters going back to the park to save loved ones.

I remember being so excited when Escape from Horrorland came out! DreamWorks Interactive really tried to capture the feel of the TV show, and it played a lot like watching an episode, but you got to make choices! They used real actors and sets – it wasn’t just animation. The director was Lawrence Guterman, who went on to do films like Cats & Dogs and Son of the Mask, and they even got a pretty famous cast involved, which was awesome for a game back then.

Okay, so Jeff Goldblum wasn’t the only famous face in the Goosebumps game! Isabella Rossellini was seriously creepy as Lady Cadaver, and you might recognize Eric Lloyd – he was Charlie from The Santa Clause – as one of the kids getting chased around the park. Honestly, seeing actors you knew from movies and TV in a game back in ’96 was a big deal, and it definitely made Goldblum’s part even cooler.

Jeff Goldblum Plays Dracula In Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland

In the beginning of the Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland game, you’re brought to the theme park alongside characters from the book. Your goal is to explore the park, find clues, and figure out how to escape. However, the park is overrun with scary creatures, and almost all of them are trying to catch you and the other visitors.

The standout monster in the film is Dracula, portrayed by Jeff Goldblum. Even for someone known for his unique style, Goldblum’s take on Dracula is remarkably unusual. He wears large fangs that actually seem to interfere with his speech. Some lines are a little hard to understand, and you can even hear him struggling with the fangs through the microphone.

While many Goosebumps episodes are enjoyable, Escape from Horrorland isn’t a standout. Though seeing Goldblum in the show is amusing, it also feels a bit unsettling. There’s a scene where Dracula seems to flirt with the main child character, who goes along with it to get what they want. It’s not inappropriate, but it’s still a little odd. The actor overacts, and his fake teeth hinder his performance, making it one of his weaker roles.

Jeff Goldblum Has Had Better Video Game Roles Since Then

Although Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland wasn’t a showcase for Jeff Goldblum’s acting, it was initially quite popular, earning good reviews and selling approximately 130,000 copies within its first year. It was even an award nominee at the Computer Game Developers Conference for Best Adaptation, but lost to the more well-known I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. Despite featuring a star like Jeff Goldblum, the game has largely faded from memory over time.

I was stoked to see Jeff Goldblum wasn’t a one-and-done kinda guy when it came to video games after Escape from Horrorland. He actually kept showing up in some cool titles! Just a year after that, in ’97, he did voice work for the Independence Day and The Lost World games. And he’s been a regular in all the Jurassic Park games, even popping up in Lego Jurassic World, which was a blast. He just recently appeared in Jurassic World Evolution 3 which came out this year, so fingers crossed we get to hear more of him in games down the line!

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2025-10-24 06:39