(LR) Actors Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin and actress Sadie Sink pose after the Stranger Things panel during Day 2 of Argentina Comic Con 2018 at Costa Salguero on December 8, 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ricardo Cepi | Getty Images | NETFLIX
A new stage spin-off “Stranger Things” is coming to London’s West End later this year, Netflix announced Wednesday.
“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” an adaptation of the hit sci-fi series, premieres at the Phoenix Theater as the streaming giant’s first live stage production.
The play is set in 1959 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, more than two decades before the show’s first scene. In a press release, Netflix said it will feature a handful of the show’s main characters, including the city’s police chief, Jim Hopper, and Joyce Byers’ boyfriend, Bob Newby.
The play – based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry – is written by Trefry and will be directed by Stephen Daldry, co-directed by Justin Martin. It is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions. Thorne also wrote the play for ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’.
“You’ll meet endearing new characters, as well as some very familiar ones, on a journey into the past that lays the foundation for the future of ‘Stranger Things,'” Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement.
The “Stranger Things” series debuted in 2016 and is one of the streaming platform’s most popular shows. The fourth season tops Netflix’s list of most popular English TVs with 1.35 billion hours watched.
In Netflix’s most recent shareholder letter, the company said subscribers will watch more recurring seasons and sequels in 2022 than in any year. Netflix blew away subscriber expectations for the fourth quarter and added 7.66 million paid subscribers in the fourth quarter.
The piece joins a growing number of in-person events inspired by Netflix movies and shows, including the immersive multi-city “Stranger Things: The Experience.” Other events included “Bridgerton” themed balls and a live escape room experience based on “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”.
Netflix has also gained popularity in the comedy space with a live stand-up special starring Chris Rock on March 4, in which he will discuss Will Smith’s Oscar smash.
Tickets for “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” are expected to go on sale in the spring.
