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The new series will be based on an original
idea from Matt and Ross Duffer, the twins who created "Stranger
Things," Netflix said in a statement. No details on the story or
characters were provided.
Netflix also announced a stage play set in the world of
"Stranger Things."
The supernatural thriller starring Winona Ryder and David
Harbour has set viewing records for Netflix, surpassing the
Regency-era drama "Bridgerton" as the company's most-watched
English-language show.
"Stranger Things" reverberated through the cultural zeitgeist
when it debuted in 2016 and turned then-12-year-old Millie Bobby
Brown into a global star. The most recent season propelled Kate
Bush's song "Running Up That Hill" to the top of the iTunes and
Spotify charts 37 years after its original release.
The fourth season concluded with the final two episodes last
week, briefly crashing the Netflix app as fans rushed to view
it. The series has logged 1.15 billion hours in viewing time on
Netflix, behind only South Korean drama "Squid Game."
"One of the reasons why 'Stranger Things' has really broken out
in the way that it has is that there's a universality at the
center of it," said Matthew Thunell, the Netflix vice president
who first read the script and advocated for the series. "It
really is about the strength of friendship, how friendship
triumphs over evil."
The series is the first that Netflix has sought to develop as a
traditional entertainment franchise, whose characters and
stories traverse film, television, games and consumer products.
Its popularity took Netflix by surprise - "candidly we could
never have predicted what 'Stranger Things' has become," said
Thunell.
As the show's audience expanded beyond so-called genre nerds, or
science-fiction fans, to include adults captivated by its 1980s
pop culture references, Netflix began contemplating ways to
extend the story through spin-offs and merchandise.
That resulted in a range of "Stranger Things" tie-ins that
include a Surfer Boy pineapple and jalapeno frozen pizza at
Walmart and a Magic 8 ball toy from Hasbro. Fans also have been
able to participate in mock sleep studies at a Hawkins National
Laboratory attraction in New York, San Francisco and London.
"We're starting from scratch and so it gives us a lot of freedom
to be innovative and try new things," said Josh Simon, Netflix's
vice president of consumer products.
The new series is part of a production deal with the Duffers,
who will also develop a live-action TV adaptation of Japanese
manga and anime series "Death Note," among other projects.
(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski; Additional reporting by Lisa
Richwine; Editing by Richard Chang)
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