A Stranger Things Play and New Death Note Are Among the Duffer Brothers’ Upcoming Projects

A Stranger Things Play and New Death Note Are Among the Duffer Brothers’ Upcoming Projects

Don’t worry: next up for the Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, is Stranger Things 5. After Stranger Things 4 crossed a billion hours watched for Netflix, the streamer is, obviously, going to want that as soon as possible. So writing starts soon. But Netflix wants to stay in business with the brothers beyond that and has just signed a major deal with their new company called, of course, Upside Down Pictures.

As part of the deal, the brothers will produce a Stranger Things-inspired stage play, directed by Billy Elliot (and almost Obi-Wan Kenobi) helmer Stephen Daldry. They’re also going to work on “a new live-action series adaptation” of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s manga Death Note — one that’s completely different from the previous film made by Godzilla vs Kong director, Adam Wingard.

But that’s not all. Also included in the deal are the still mysterious, but still very much happening Stranger Things spinoff show for Netflix, an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Talisman in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin, as well as “an original series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance).” The Talisman and spinoff had previously been announced.

And because the brothers will be so busy on Stranger Things 5, they’ve hired Hilary Leavitt, formerly of BBC and MRC, to run Upside Down. “It didn’t take long into our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over films like Jaws, Home Alone, and Speed, to know we had found a kindred spirit,” the Duffers said in a press release. “Hilary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, for whom she is fiercely protective. No wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to working with her. She is a rare talent indeed, and we feel extremely grateful to have her at our side as we build Upside Down Pictures.”

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