Fear Street Part 3: 1666 - What We Know So Far

Most people know R.L. Stine for terrifying young kids with his long-running "Goosebumps" series of books. From evil puppets to masks that won't come off, there's no shortage of frightening possibilities for the PG-version of Stephen King. The thing many people may not know about the prolific author is that "Goosebumps" isn't his only series. For those wanting more grown-up horror, Stine also released a collection of "Fear Street" novels. 

"Goosebumps" was pretty tame, but "Fear Street" definitely upped the ante where characters could die, and the horror crept under your skin a bit more. The former may have received a television adaptation in the 1990s and two feature-length films starring Jack Black, but the latter's finally getting its time to shine thanks to a trilogy of movies debuting on Netflix this summer. 

Instead of waiting years between installments, you can take a stroll down Fear Street practically every week in July as each movie comes out back-to-back-to-back. Here's everything you need to know about the final chapter, "Fear Street Part 3: 1666."

Netflix released the trailer for all three upcoming "Fear Street" movies not too long ago, so we officially know we're in for a highly spooky summer. "Fear Street Part 1: 1994" comes out on July 2, while the follow-up, "Fear Street Part 2: 1978," will release a week later, on July 9. To finish the whole thing off, you can watch the final installment shortly after that on July 16. 

All three films were initially supposed to come out in theaters, but they still would've come out reasonably close to one another. The original plan involved a single movie debuting in June, July, and August 2020 each, but those plans had to change due to the COVID-19 pandemic (via ComicBook.com). Combined with the decision for Chernin Entertainment to have a first-look deal with Netflix (via The Wrap), the "Fear Street" movies switched over to the streaming platform. All of this means one thing: We're technically getting a "Fear Street" trilogy before a "Goosebumps" one. 

You'll likely recognize quite a few faces by the time you sit down to take in the terror of "Fear Street Part 3: 1666." Gillian Jacobs of "Community" stars in the film as C. Berman, while "Stranger Things" breakout actress Sadie Sink joins her as Ziggy. Other actors getting in on the fun include Darrell Britt-Gibson ("Judas and the Black Messiah"), Jordana Spiro ("Ozark"), Fred Hechinger ("The Woman in the Window"), Benjamin Flores Jr. ("Your Honor"), Mark Ashworth ("Stargirl"), and Ashley Zukerman ("A Teacher"). 

While each installment of the trilogy focuses on a different period, you can still expect certain actors to reappear across the films. Jacobs and Sink play those same characters in "Fear Street Part 2: 1978," and you'll want to pay attention to the first film in the franchise. "Fear Street Part 1: 1994" brings in Sink's "Stranger Things" co-star, Maya Hawke, in an as-of-yet undisclosed role.

Before delving into the plot of "Fear Street Part 3: 1666," it's critical to take a quick peek at what the first two films will showcase. The first takes place in 1994, and it follows a group of teenagers living in Shadyside, where mysterious happenstances are afoot. As they learn more about the town's history, they recognize that they might be the next targets. The second installment goes back to 1978 and involves a different group of teens away at summer camp who go through similar horrific experiences. 

All this leads to the year 1666 where a town becomes hysterical over a proposed witch hunt. It all ties into what we've seen come before, and while that colonial town makes mistakes, those same teens we saw in 1994 will have the opportunity to do away with the curse once and for all before it has a chance to affect anyone else. 

It's an ambitious release strategy, and horror fans are in for a real treat when they come out this summer. Take it from R.L. Stine, who said, "I have seen [director] Leigh Janiak's epic trilogy releasing on Netflix in July, and I can tell you the scares and the SCREAMS are more than I ever expected. What fun to see the horrors of Shadyside come to life!" (via CinemaBlend). Brace yourself for the summer of fear.