Good news, nerds. Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a Stranger Things prequel, is in the works. But there’s also some bad news on that front too. It’s headed for the stage, as in it’s going to be a play, not a Netflix movie or series. It will premiere in late 2023 at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End.
That’s great for anyone who lives in England or is planning to visit later this year. But what about the rest of us? Will it end up traveling to other theaters so we get a chance to see it too?
Possibly. Especially after something Sonia Friedman, whose company Sonia Friedman Productions is co-producing the play along with Netflix, said:
“Set within the canon of Stranger Things, this new play opens in London, with the West End hosting the only place in the world to experience this new story –for now.”
Hmm. So cryptic. That could mean it might travel to other theatres…or even that it might get adapted into a Netflix movie or spin-off series. I guess it’ll be a matter of hurry-up and wait-to-see as time will ultimately tell.
For now, we know this new play by Kate Trefry, a writer and co-executive producer for Stranger Things, will be rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix global phenomenon. Let’s explore that.
Stranger Things: The Last Shadow Synopsis
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 People Behind the Stranger Things Prequel
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry. As stated above, Kate Trefry wrote the play. Stephen Daldry will direct with co-direction by Justin Martin.
It will be produced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions. The Duffer Brothers act as creative producers, with 21 Laps as associate producer.
For More Info
Priority access to tickets, which go on sale later this month, will be given to fans who register on the show’s website. Visit https://uk.strangerthingsonstage.com.
Check-In
Would you go to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow if it came to a theatre near you?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
OMG yes!