Elvira is joining the world of R.L. Stine! Cassandra Peterson, the actress and horror icon best known as the Mistress of the Dark, has joined the cast of R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2, and Entertainment Weekly unveiled the first look at her mysterious character.
Peterson will play a witch named Cassandra in the sequel to last year’s Tubi horror movie. According to the character description, Cassandra is “wise and deeply connected to ancient magic,” and she understands the dark forces threatening the town of Redhaven, as well as the sacrifice that may be necessary to stop them.
Peterson says the role was a natural fit:
“R.L. Stine and I have been in the business of scaring kids for a long time, so joining Pumpkinhead 2 was such a treat. Playing Cassandra was the perfect ‘witchy’ role for me.”
The casting brings together two horror icons who have been entertaining young audiences for decades, although in very different ways. Peterson became famous as Elvira through her television appearances and horror hosting, while Stine is the author behind Goosebumps, Fear Street, and the The Haunting Hour story that inspired the Pumpkinhead movies.
Tubi’s Josh Van Houdt sees the pairing as an opportunity to combine nostalgia with something new:
“Elvira and R.L. Stine each gave me a completely different way to experience horror growing up — Elvira through her unforgettable late-night movie presentations, and Stine through twisty, page-turning novels. Bringing them together in one film feels both nostalgic and completely fresh, which is exactly the kind of surprising combination we love creating for Tubi audiences.”
Inspired by R.L. Stine‘s The Haunting Hour, R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 follows Sam (Bean Reid) and Becka (Adeline Lo) as they race to stop a new Pumpkinhead curse from claiming the entire town of Redhaven. This time, a student named Evan is struggling with bullies at school when he discovers a forbidden spellbook. His actions accidentally revive an ancient curse, causing the pumpkin-headed children of past sacrifices to rise from the earth with plans to claim Redhaven during its Harvest Festival. Their only hope may be Cassandra, the mysterious witch played by Peterson. She is determined to destroy the book and put an end to the curse.
The first R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead introduced Reid as Sam, a teenager who moves to Redhaven with his family. When his brother Finn disappears, nobody remembers that he ever existed, including their mother. Sam joins forces with his friend Becka and town outcast Rusty to stop a harvest curse before Finn is lost forever.
R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 will premiere on Tubi on October 9, 2026, as part of the streaming service’s “Terror on Tubi” Halloween lineup.
The sequel is once again written and directed by Jem Garrard, who also made the first movie. The movie will also have a presence at New York Comic Con on October 11, where Garrard will appear alongside designer, drag queen, and actor Jimbo and Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson. Tubi promises that the panel will include breaking news about what’s coming next for R.L. Stine projects on the service.
For now, though, the biggest new addition to the Pumpkinhead franchise is clearly Elvira. Seeing Cassandra Peterson step into a role as a mysterious witch in an R.L. Stine horror story should make R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 a fun Halloween watch for horror fans. Will you be watching? Let us know by leaving a comment below.