‘Stranger Things’ Creators Reportedly Leaving Netflix

Netflix is soon to lose the creators of its biggest hit.

The Duffer Brothers, who created, wrote, produced, and directed Stranger Things for Netflix across its nine-year run, are leaving the streamer for greener pastures.

Deadline reports that Matt and Ross Duffer are in talks for a massive deal at Paramount, although details are still being worked out.

Sources told the publication that the duo was enticed by the possibility of a huge theatrical push for their future works, which the two were unable to get at Netflix. Famously, Netflix seldom releases any of their movies in theaters at all—and when they do, it’s only for a few weeks in select cities.

It’s the first major move for the new Paramount, which was recently acquired by Skydance Media to the tune of $8.4 billion dollars. It’s also a bit of a reunion for the brothers, as Paramount’s new head of its Direct-to-Consumer department is Cindy Holland. Holland, formerly the head of originals at Netflix, championed Stranger Things and was integral to getting the series off the ground.

“Ted Sarandos, Cindy Holland, Brian Wright and Matt Thunell took a huge chance on us and our show — and forever changed our lives,” the brothers said in a 2019 statement after Stranger Things was renewed for season four.

Thunell, who is mentioned in the above quote, is also now at Paramount as the president of its TV studios.

Stranger Things, the show that made the brothers famous, is set to come to an end with its fifth and final season. The new season, full of feature-length episodes, will release in two parts around Thanksgiving and Christmas of this year on Netflix.