The New York City skyline is looking a bit stranger lately as the Empire State Building has begun a two-month engagement with a themed experience tied to the Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) series "Stranger Things." And while the popular series begins its latest season, Netflix inserted a viewer caution regarding its content.
What Happened: The southern façade of the iconic skyscraper is now the canvas for a digital light show depicting the series’ Upside Down. And the building’s open-air 86th Floor Observatory features a life-size Demogorgon for visitors to enjoy a wonderfully creepy photo opportunity.
Earlier this week, four members of the “Stranger Things” cast — Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Cara Buono, and Priah Ferguson — made an appearance to launch the themed experience, which runs through the end of July.
"We are happy to unite New Yorkers and our visitors with once-in-a-lifetime experiences at the World's Most Famous Building," said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory.
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The Empire State Building is owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT).
What Else Happened: The new season of “Stranger Things” kicked off today with a last-minute content warning inserted by Netflix for its U.S. audiences.
“We filmed this season of Stranger Things a year ago,” said the warning that appeared ahead of the prior season’s recap. “But given the recent tragic shooting at a school in Texas, viewers may find the opening scene of episode 1 distressing. We are deeply saddened by this unspeakable violence, and our hearts go out to every family mourning a loved one.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Netflix also edited the description for the premiere to include: “Warning: Contains graphic violence involving children.”
“We decided to add the card given the proximity of the premiere to this tragedy — and because the opening scene is very graphic,” said a Netflix spokesperson.
Photo: The cast members of "Stranger Things" with the photo-op Demogorgon at the Empire State Building Observatory
