‘Stranger Issues’ creators could also be leaving Netflix

Netflix might quickly lose the artistic group behind certainly one 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 signal an unique take care of Paramount (now underneath the possession of David Ellison’s Skydance). Then on Friday night, Puck’s Matthew Belloni posted that the Duffers had the truth is “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 turn into extra spectacular, and the price range has grown accordingly, with a reported Season 4 value of $30 million per episode.

So it’s not shocking that the Duffers are focused on making big-budget, tentpole motion pictures subsequent — an space the place Netflix has struggled, partially because of its thorny relationship with the theatrical enterprise, which co-CEO Ted Sarandos just lately described as an “outdated idea.”

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

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

The brothers’ absence is not going to be instantly noticeable on Netflix, which will probably be releasing the ultimate season of “Stranger Issues” in three (!) components later this yr, and the place the Duffers have two new reveals scheduled to launch in 2026. Plus, the “Stranger Issues” empire is rising, with a prequel enjoying on Broadway, an animated sequence coming quickly, and a reside motion spinoff reportedly within the works.