Stranger Things returns to Netflix.
The streamer has officially ordered a live-action prequel series to its massive sci-fi hit (see announcement video below).
Title Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventurethe new series will be set in the 1950s, with production in New Mexico.
Original series creators and showrunners, the Duffer Brothers will serve as co-creators, but have otherwise handed creative duties to longtime cast members. Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry, who also wrote the Stranger Things: The First Shadow play and Golden Globe-winning director Joe Wright (Atonement), who will direct the first three episodes.
The series will feature a whole new cast and a whole new story. Details are being kept under wraps, but the title, the setting of 1950s New Mexico, and an allusion from the Duffers in their statement (“watch the sky”) certainly suggest that the series has a UFO/aliens/space theme.
“We dreamed of Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure for many years now, and to see this become a reality is surreal and exhilarating,” Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement. “We are so grateful to our incredible team of collaborators: our showrunner Kate Trefry, who has been in the trenches with us since season two and wrote Stranger Things: The First Shadow; and our director, Joe Wright, a brilliant artist whose work we have long admired. We can’t wait for you to see what they’re up to. It is Stranger Thingsbut also thrillingly fresh, with a new setting, new heroes and villains, and new… actually, we’re not allowed to say more. Now let’s move on to the casting. In the meantime, watch the sky, nerds! »
Last year, Duffers signed a deal to officially move from Netflix to Paramount as part of a four-year deal with the studio that spans film, television and streaming projects.
“Stranger Things has always belonged to the fans, and their passion has made it a global phenomenon,” said Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of scripting. “Today, on Stranger Things Day, we’re honored to once again partner with Matt and Ross Duffer and Kate Trefry to give fans a new dimension of this universe to enter. Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure takes us to the 1950s with new heroes and all the heart, mystery and spectacle of the original series.
Trefry added: “The Duffer Brothers gave me my first paying job in Hollywood, and it has been a joy and a fever dream ever since. Now, it is an insane honor and privilege for me to bring this new chapter of Stranger Things to life alongside them and to our incredible director Joe Wright. With the support of Netflix and 21Laps, we had an unforgettable time returning to all the horror, wonder and mystery of the flagship, while telling a whole new story, which we hope will blow your mind and break your heart all over again.
Executive producers include The Duffer Brothers via Upside Down Pictures, Shawn Levy and his company 21 Laps, as well as Paul Dichter, Shelley Meals, Andrea Sperling and Pavlina Hatoupis.
Stranger Things debuted in 2016 and became Netflix’s biggest show, delivering 1.2 billion views worldwide in its first four seasons. The show aired its series finale earlier this year.
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