STRANGER THINGS Creators Tease Future Spin-Offs and What Those Stories Will Not Entail

The Duffer Brothers are gearing up to head back to Hawkins next month as it’s been announced that the fifth and final season of Stranger Things will begin shooting in January. They have said all along that this season will tie together the story, and finish the journey we have been on with these kids since the story began. In a recent interview with The Guardian, they doubled down on the excitement for the final season, and teased the future of the franchise, while making clear what we will not see in a possible spinoff. Matt explained:

“This season – it’s like season one on steroids. It’s the biggest it’s ever been in terms of scale, but it has been really fun, because everyone’s back together in Hawkins: the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in season one. And, yes, there may be spin-offs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here. That’s it… Outside of the play. So if you want to see more of some of them, go see the play.”

The play he’s referring to is Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which serves as a prequel to the series. The play is set in Hawkins, 1959. The First Shadow takes place “before the world turned upside down.”

The official plot synopsis reads:

“Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach. Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.”

The world premiere takes the stage December 14 at the Phoenix Theatre on London’s West End, with previews beginning November 17. It will run through August 25, 2024.

Aside from the prequel play, what stories would you like to see told within the world of Stranger Things?