‘Stranger Things’ creators may be leaving Netflix

Netflix may quickly lose the inventive crew behind one in every of its largest hits.

Earlier this week, Selection and different Hollywood publications reported that Matt and Ross Duffer, the brothers who created “Stranger Issues” (and wrote and directed many episodes), have been in talks to sign an exclusive deal with Paramount (now under the ownership of David Ellison’s Skydance). Then on Friday night, Puck’s Matthew Belloni posted that the Duffers had in truth “made their alternative” and have been going to Paramount.

The Duffer Brothers’ ambition appears to have elevated with every season of “Stranger Issues,” as episodes have grown longer, set items have grow to be extra spectacular, and the price range has grown accordingly, with a reported Season 4 cost of $30 million per episode.

So it’s not stunning that the Duffers are fascinated by making big-budget, tentpole motion pictures subsequent — an space the place Netflix has struggled, partly attributable to its thorny relationship with the theatrical enterprise, which co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently described as an “outdated idea.”

Whereas Netflix does launch some motion pictures in theaters, it has resisted giving these releases a major unique window earlier than launching on streaming, which suggests Netflix motion pictures often aren’t proven by the key chains.

This was, apparently, a sticking level for “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, so the primary of her “Narnia” motion pictures for Netflix will play exclusively on Imax screens for 2 weeks (or more) earlier than going to streaming on Christmas Day 2026. And it appears this was additionally essential to the Duffers, with Belloni reporting that the “theatrical element” turned out to be the “dealbreaker” of their negotiations.

The brothers’ absence won’t be instantly noticeable on Netflix, which can be releasing the ultimate season of “Stranger Issues” in three (!) elements later this 12 months, and the place the Duffers have two new reveals scheduled to launch in 2026. Plus, the “Stranger Issues” empire is rising, with a prequel taking part in on Broadway, an animated series coming quickly, and a dwell motion spinoff reportedly within the works.