Twin brothers Matt and Ross Duffer have spilled some details on an upcoming “Stranger Things” spin-off that the pair are working on with Netflix. With the fifth and final season of the series arriving later this year, although some lucky fans will get to see it sooner, fan anticipation for the franchise couldn’t be higher and many will be glad to know that another live-action show set in the same universe is in the works.
‘Stranger Things’ Creators Lift Lid on New Spin-off
While Netflix has already announced an animated follow-up to “Stranger Things,” many people have been hoping for a proper live-action spin-off. The Duffer brothers have now given fans some details about the new series they are working on that will be set in the same universe as “Stranger Things” — although it will be a separate story with fresh characters and a different setting.
Speaking to the BBC in an interview to promote the upcoming season 5 of “Stranger Things,” the two brothers explained some information about the spin-off while keeping most of the details under wraps.
“It’s early days but we’re excited about it,” says Matt Duffer. “It’s new characters and a new mystery, so it’s different, but it will be in the same world as ‘Stranger Things.’”
According to the pair, the universe of “Stranger Things” still has plenty to offer and they are keen to explore different areas. However, Ross Duffer was keen to point out that it will be completely distinct to the show fans have come to love.
Season 5 will end the self-contained arc of the show and will act as “the end for these characters,” says Ross, while Matt said the final scene “was the one thing we had planned from the start.”
“We always knew what we were working towards so it was like our north star and we built the whole season around the final scene.”
What Else We Know About the ‘Stranger Things’ Spin-Off
In an interview with Variety in October, the two brothers gave a little more information about what fans can expect from the spin-off. Comparing the way that Disney has approached television series in the “Star Wars” franchise, the Duffers claim that they are taking a different approach.
“It’s so different than something like ‘Star Wars,’” Matt said. “It doesn’t really work like that.” Of course, there will be some recognizable elements in the spin-off, which will feature the “brand” and “style of storytelling” — “kids, adventures, sci-fi/fantasy, rather than increasingly expand what could become an insanely convoluted mythology.”
Matt continued, “You’re starting with new characters — it’s like a clean slate. You’re not tied up into any knots. There’s something refreshing about it.”
“They’re going to live in a bit of a different world,” he explained further. “There’s going to be connective tissue, but you’re almost anthologizing in a way. Because we’re not ‘Star Wars.’ We can’t be like, ‘Oh, now we’re on this planet.’ You’re just too boxed in. It starts to get frustrating from a storytelling perspective.”
