Los Angeles: The "Stranger Things" universe is set to expand with a new live-action spin-off series, titled "Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure", which will be set in the 1950s and premiere in 2028, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have announced.
The announcement was made on the occasion of Stranger Things Day, with the Duffer Brothers confirming that the new series will explore a different chapter in the supernatural world of the popular Netflix show, with a new setting, characters and mythology. Set decades before the events of the original series, "Other Worlds" will be based in the 1950s, long before the group of youngsters in Hawkins uncovered the supernatural conspiracy in their town.
The story will also predate the events of the stage production "Stranger Things: The First Shadow", which explores the troubled past of Henry Creel in Hawkins in 1959. "We've been dreaming of 'Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure' for many years now, and to see it become a reality is surreal and exhilarating," Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement. "It's 'Stranger Things', but also thrillingly fresh, with a new setting, new heroes and villains, and new ... actually, we're not allowed to say any more.
Now, on to casting. In the meantime — watch the skies, nerds!" they added. The series will be created and written by Kate Trefry, a longtime writer on "Stranger Things", who also wrote the screenplay for "The First Shadow". She will serve as the showrunner and executive producer. BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning filmmaker Joe Wright, known for films such as "Pride & Prejudice", "Atonement" and "Darkest Hour", will direct the first three episodes and executive produce the series.
Production on the show will take place in New Mexico. Trefry said the project marked a new chapter in her association with the Duffer Brothers, who gave her her first paying job in Hollywood. "The Duffer Brothers gave me my first paying job in Hollywood, and it has been a joy and a fever dream ever since," she said, adding that she was excited to bring the new chapter of the franchise to life alongside the creators and Wright.
She said the team had revisited the horror, wonder and mystery of the original series while developing a new story, adding that there were several more mysteries to explore in the "Stranger Things" universe. The series will also be executive produced by the Duffer Brothers through their banner Upside Down Pictures, alongside Shawn Levy through 21 Laps.
Other executive producers include Paul Dichter, Shelley Meals, Andrea Sperling and Pavlina Hatoupis. Levy said the new series would retain the essence of the original show while exploring a different era, setting, characters and mythology. "With 'Other Worlds', the Duffer Brothers and Kate Trefry craft a new ensemble and adventure that is imbued with the DNA of our flagship series while exploring a new era, setting, and all-new characters, themes, and mythology," he said.
Jinny Howe, Netflix's head of scripted series in the US and Canada, said the streaming platform was pleased to collaborate again with the Duffer Brothers and Trefry to offer fans another dimension of the franchise. Since its debut in 2016, "Stranger Things" has emerged as one of Netflix's most popular shows, with its first four seasons collectively garnering more than 1.2 billion views.
Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the science-fiction horror series followed the mysterious disappearance of a young boy, Will Byers, prompting his friends and family to search for him. During the search, his friends encounter Eleven, a girl with psychokinetic abilities who has escaped from a secret government laboratory.
They gradually uncover a series of supernatural experiments and a parallel dimension known as the Upside Down, which is home to dangerous creatures threatening their town. Across its five seasons, the series follows Eleven, Will and their friends as they confront supernatural forces, uncover the secrets of the Upside Down and attempt to prevent it from spreading into their world.
The franchise has expanded beyond the original live-action series with the animated show "Stranger Things: Tales From '85", which follows the Hawkins group during the winter of 1985 as they investigate new monsters and a paranormal mystery.
The stage production "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" is set to conclude its run at London's Phoenix Theatre on December 27 and at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway in New York on January 3, 2027. title, keywords, caption and subtext