**Spoilers ahead** 

Before “Stranger Things” was a pop culture phenomenon, it was literally a show that nobody wanted. Upwards of twenty networks turned the series down, before Netflix jumped on board. And credit to the streaming service — they said they wanted a bonafide series, instead of the Duffers’ original vision of a limited or anthology series. The rest, as they say, is history. However, had the Duffers been given the chance to make a limited-run version of “Stranger Things,” they would’ve killed off what has become the most popular character on the show.

Continue reading Duffers Reveal They Almost Killed Off Eleven In Season 1 Of ‘Stranger Things’ at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead**

If the first season of “Stranger Things” wore its influences on its sleeve, “Stranger Things 2” puts them on like a suit, making no apologies for acknowledging its forebears. However, not everything about the series is informed by the ’80s, as the Duffer Brothers reveal how one very contemporary superhero movie inspired a scene in the debut second season episode, “Madmax.”

The episode opens on 008 aka Kali (Linnea Berthelsen) rolling around Pittsburgh with her punk friends, until a violent act leads to a pursuit by the cops.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 2’: Duffers Talk Scene Inspired By ‘The Dark Knight’ at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead**

The Duffer Brothers seem to have a thing about killing off the innocents. In the first season of “Stranger Things,” it was Nancy’s best friend Barb who was the unfortunate victim of the monster from the Upside Down. Audiences were so taken with the brief appearance of the character, that they demanded #Justice4Barb, and in the second season of the show, the Duffers do offer some closure.

Continue reading Duffers Talk Shocking ‘Stranger Things 2’ Death at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead**

If you’re like me, you’re probably a little sleepy this morning having crammed in all nine episodes of “Stranger Things 2” over the weekend. The downside is missing last night’s epic World Series game between the Dodgers and Astros, but the upside is being able to talk about the second season of the Netflix hit and not having to worry about running into spoilers on social media.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 2’: Duffers Talk Ending & That Eleven Episode at The Playlist.

Unless you have found yourself trapped in an alternate dimension, you’ve heard about “Stranger Things.” And if you’ve heard of the original Netflix super-hit, you know about the hype surrounding the latest season, or sequel. The brainchild of twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, “Stranger Things” wandered its way into the homes of millions. With a young cast and a nostalgic vibe thanks to its homage to 80s horror and science fiction films, the show became an instant hit.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things 2’ Takes You To A Bigger And Darker Upside Down [Bingeworthy Breakdown] at The Playlist.

It’s one week until we all go back into the Upside Down, and while you can listen to the soundtrack right now, I presume most of us are waiting for the total “Stranger Things” season 2 experience. In the year since the show debuted, it has become a phenomenon, and a merchandising bonanza. This means the marketing has had to step it up a notch, but the magic of season one was that everyone knew very little going in.

Continue reading Duffers Warn You Might “Damage The Experience” Watching ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Trailer Too Much at The Playlist.

There is no question that “Stranger Things” is a centerpiece show for Netflix, and as such, the streaming service is maximizing the hugely popular series as much as they can. Beyond giving creators and directors Matt and Ross Duffer the space to work their magic, Netflix also knows that the brand can keep generating big money through licensing, and they’ve already inked deals with Funko, Trends International, McFarlane Toys, and Hybrid Apparel to roll out merchandise for the second season.

Continue reading Netflix Wanted To Shoot ‘Stranger Things’ Seasons 3 & 4 Back-To-Back at The Playlist.

While you might enjoy being inside the Upside Down, the creators and directors of “Stranger Things,” Matt and Ross Duffer, are gearing up to get out. They’ve already said they want a “finite ending” to the show, and teased a possible five-season run. However, it looks like that time frame is becoming a little more compressed.

“We’re thinking it will be a four-season thing and then out,” Ross Duff told Vulture, adding that he’s concerned about keeping things believable, and finding new ways to for the ensemble cast to grapple with otherworldly monsters.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Might Finish After Season 4 at The Playlist.

When I sat down with Matt and Ross Duffer (collectively known as the Duffer Brothers) last month they were pretty calm, cool and collected for two guys whose first series, “Stranger Things,” had become a cultural phenomenon and earned a tantalizing 18 Emmy nominations after the debut of its first season. To clarify, they certainly were not cocky or overconfident, but considering the looming deadline to submit nine episodes of the second season to Netflix they certainly were not as stressed as you or I would probably be.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’: Duffer Brothers On Inspiration, Season 2, And Knowing When It Will All End [Interview] at The Playlist.

The anthology series format is quickly gaining popularity and it’s easy to see why. The limited nature of each season allows writers to create compelling narratives, without worry about stretching the story across multiple seasons. If the concept is broad enough, it allows showrunners to pivot to completely different stories and tones from season to season, which makes it both exciting for creatives and audiences.

Thus far, the anthology format has most popularly been used for genre fare like “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story,” but there have been some bolder ideas that haven’t taken root.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Was Originally Pitched As An Anthology Series at The Playlist.

Ever since Netflix’s “Stranger Things” came out of nowhere a year ago to become a pop-culture sensation unlike any other of recent memory, an air of mystery has surrounded its upcoming sophomore season. With a release date of Halloween 2017, a chilling Super Bowl teaser, and cast members referring to season 2 as “a lot more dark [than season 1], a lot more horror-oriented,” you can rest assured that the ‘80s throwback series is indeed upping the ante in its impending return.

Continue reading New ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Trailer Returns To The Upside Down at The Playlist.

BEVERLY HILLS – If Netflix is worried about “Stranger Things” being an Emmy force they shouldn’t be.  The Duffer Brothers’ creation became a pop culture sensation when it debuted last summer and surprised many by winning the PGA Award for Best Drama and the SAG Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series in January (not to mention being listed on a ton of critic’s top 10 lists).  Six months later, the industry passion hasn’t wavered. 

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’: 7 Things We Learned About Season Two From Its Emmy Event at The Playlist.

All good things must come to an end, which means one day, the final episode of “Stranger Things” will air. And it seems a bit silly to think about that now when we’re still months away from the start of season two, with so much more story yet to unfold, but “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer promise that the supernatural happenings will have a definitive end.

Continue reading Duffer Brothers Currently Planning 4 Or 5 Season Run For ‘Stranger Things’ at The Playlist.

When Netflix announced the second season of “Stranger Things“ last summer, it came with a teaser that revealed the chapter titles for the next batch of episodes. And as you might expect, enthusiasts started working their theories about what the next installment of the hit series might hold. However, it might be time for them to rethink those theories. First, here are the chapter titles that were initially announced:

“Madmax”
“The Boy Who Came Back to Life”
“The Pumpkin Patch”
“The Palace”
“The Storm”
“The Pollywog”
“The Secret Cabin”
“The Brain”
“The Lost Brother”

Chatting with EW, series co-creator/writer/director Matt Duffer reveals that these titles are changing, and perhaps suggests some were decoys, as the team behind the show are hoping to stay a step ahead of their fans.

Continue reading Start Rethinking Those Fan Theories Because The ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Chapter Titles Are Changing at The Playlist.

“Stranger Things” continues to break any and all rules at Netflix. The hugely popular show is the first in the streaming site’s history to get its own Super Bowl spot, and even though the second season isn’t landing until the fall, the promo machine is already going hard, with the series gracing the cover of EW this week. And with it comes more secrets being spilled about what lies ahead.

Continue reading New Look At ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2, Plus PTSD, Stephen King-Esque Touch & More Teased at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead** The season one finale of “Stranger Things” wrapped up on a tantalizing note, and we’re not talking about the slug that Will coughs up. Instead, it was Chief Jim Hopper heading into the woods on a wintry night, and leaving a Tupperware container and plastic wrapped Eggos in a box in the woods. Was Eleven, who seemingly gave her life to the defeat the Demogorgon, still alive?

Continue reading The Duffer Brothers Say The Return Of Eleven In ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Is “Up In The Air” at The Playlist.

Finally. Fans of “Stranger Things” — one of the most popular pieces of Netflix original programming ever — have been waiting all summer for the streaming service to officially announce a second season. Well, it’s time to break out the Eggos because it’s happening.

Netflix has revealed that the nine-episode, second season will arrive in 2017. The only returning creatives confirmed thus far are series writer/directors Matt and Ross Duffer, which certainly leaves some intriguing questions about which cast members will be back.

Continue reading Netflix Announces ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2, First Teaser Revealed at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead** Netflix‘s summer smash hit series “Stranger Things” has provided audiences with no shortage of elements to latch onto. Whether it’s the killer score by Matt Dixon and Michael Stein, the return of Winona Ryder in a role that we haven’t quite seen from her before, or all the Amblin-esque touches, Matt and Ross Duffer have created a whole world that audiences have been thrilled to explore.

Continue reading “We’ll Make Sure There’s Some Justice For Barb”: Matt Duffer Talks ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 at The Playlist.

While Netflix hasn’t yet renewed “Stranger Things” (and while we’re at it, how about another season of “Last Chance U” with more Brittany Wagner?) they certainly aren’t shy about promoting the hit summer series, getting the show’s writers, creators, and directors, The Duffer Brothers, talking to the media. And in the process, we’ve learned much about the journey the sibling filmmakers have taken through Hollywood: directing a short film, helming a feature length film (2015’s “Hidden“), and earning their TV stripes on “Wayward Pines.” Still, it speaks to the confidence Netflix had in the pair to let them run with “Stranger Things,” when the rest of the industry weren’t that interested.

Continue reading ‘Stranger Things’ Duo The Duffer Brothers Says WB Turned Down Their Offer To Direct Stephen King’s ‘It’ at The Playlist.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’ve probably heard of “Stranger Things,” the new hit show from Netflix that saw social media and blogs crawling with people sharing memes, theories, and just general love of the series. And much of the credit for the bingeworthy show goes to its creators, writers/directors Ross and Matt Duffer. Since many were unfamiliar with the duo before “Stranger Things,” there’s a lot of interest in their earlier works.

Continue reading Horror Short ‘Eater’ Displays The Early Talents Of ‘Stranger Things’ Duo The Duffer Brothers at The Playlist.

In case you haven’t heard, yes, Netflix‘s “Stranger Things” is well-deserving of the hype, and so much more than just its loving homage to sci-fi and fantasy films of the ’70s and ’80s (though it’s certainly that too). It’s a missing-persons mystery, a story about the relationship between parents and children, a look at coming-of-age, and a tale with a big scary monster at the center. And somehow, it all works wonderfully when you put it together.

Continue reading Duffer Brothers Reveals How ‘Prisoners’ Inspired ‘Stranger Things,’ Say They Were Initially Rejected By 15 To 20 Networks at The Playlist.

Believe the hype. You’ve likely heard by now one or more of your friends praising Netflix‘s “Stranger Things,” or perhaps come across any number of the strong critical notices, but yes, the show is that good. While the first season only runs eight episodes, it’s the perfect length, with the supernatural series refreshingly not spending countless episodes microscopically unraveling each mystery, but instead, choosing to push everything forward with a narrative that really moves.

Continue reading Shawn Levy Hoping For “Several More Seasons” Of ‘Stranger Things’ On Netflix at The Playlist.