The Duffer Bros. Launch Upside Down Pictures; Projects Include Stephen King's THE TALISMAN, STRANGER THINGS Spinoff, and DEATH NOTE
The creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, have launched Upside Down Pictures, and they have several projects in development at the moment for Netflix. They’ve hired Hilary Leavitt to run the production company, and she has helped develop shows over the years such as Orphan Black, Ozark, The Great, and Shining Girls.
The Duffer Bros. said the new company will be "guided by the goal to create the kind of stories that inspired them growing up, stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where big spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins out over cynicism.”
The shows they are currently developing include:
A series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub‘s 1984 novel The Talisman which the Duffers are developing with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Paramount Television. Created by Stranger Things’ Co-EP and writer Curtis Gwinn, The Talisman tells the story of a young man who moves between New Hampshire and an alternate world called ‘The Territories’ to obtain an artifact that will save his mother’s life. While The Talisman shares otherworldly qualities with Stranger Things, “It’s much more fantasy. It has sci-fi. It has horror elements. It has a lot of heart. It has everything that we love. And it’s got the best werewolf character I think, ever.”
A new live-action series adaptation of Death Note, the Japanese manga and anime series originally written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. The story focuses on a bright teenager who discovers a mysterious black notebook that gives him supernatural power over life and death, the latter caused by writing a person’s name in the book. The teen becomes intoxicated with power as he decides to cleanse the world of undesirables, as a law enforcement team tries to stop him. Netflix did produce a film adaptation in 2017, but this series is going to be a whole new adaptation.
An original series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance).
A new stage play set within the world and mythology of Stranger Things, produced by prolific UK-based stage producer Sonia Friedman, Stephen Daldry, and Netflix. Daldry, whose credits include The Crown, Billy Elliot and The Reader, will also direct. 21 Laps will serve as Associate Producer.
Then there the live-action Stranger Things spin-off series for Netflix, based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers, with Upside Down and 21 Laps producing.
Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos said in a statement: “Matt and Ross are an exceptionally unique talent with a vision so crisp and clear. They are all about the details — it’s no accident that Stranger Things has pierced the zeitgeist to become the epic pop culture phenomenon it is today. We’re excited to continue telling new stories with them as they grow Upside Down Pictures and to welcome Hilary as creative partner.”
The Duffers said: “It didn’t take long into our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over films like Jaws, Home Alone, and Speed, to know we had found a kindred spirit. Hilary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, for whom she is fiercely protective. No wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to working with her. She is a rare talent indeed, and we feel extremely grateful to have her at our side as we build Upside Down Pictures.”
Leavitt added: “I remember the first movie I saw in the theater, the first VHS tape I got for Christmas, the first international one-sheet I bid for on eBay because it was cooler than the domestic. And the first time I met Matt and Ross. All of these seminal moments have led to this ridiculously cool opportunity to build a company with the Duffer Brothers where we produce movies and television because we love movies and television. This love is at the core of Upside Down Pictures, where we’re able to collaborate with other artists on projects across the full spectrum of genre. We all love what we do and are excited to do more and more.”
There are lots of exciting projects coming from the Duffer Bros., and it’s going to be cool to see how these things turn out. I’m especially excited about them working on Stephen King’s The Talisman. That’s one that I’ve been looking forward to seeing get adapted for years!
Source: Deadline