A “Stranger Things” stage play is ready to turn London upside down.
“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is set to open on the West End in late 2023, offering a prequel story for Netflix’s hit supernatural series, the streaming service announced Wednesday.
Like the series, the play takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins, Ind. It’s set in 1959, more than two decades before the events of the TV show.
“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,” reads a play synopsis. “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.”
The play follows an original story from a team including Matt and Ross Duffer, the brothers who created “Stranger Things.” The series, which premiered its fourth season last year, centers on a young girl with psychokinetic powers who could be the key to defeating tormentors from another dimension.
“You will meet endearing new characters, as well as very familiar ones, on a journey into the past that sets the groundwork for the future of Stranger Things,” the Duffer brothers said in a statement. “We’re dying to tell you more about the story but won’t — it’s more fun to discover it for yourself. Can’t wait to see you nerds in London!”
“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” is penned by “Stranger Things” writer and executive producer Kate Trefry, who also helped come up with the play’s story.
The Duffer brothers announced last year that an upcoming fifth season of “Stranger Things” would be the last, but that a spinoff series and stage play were in development.
“Stranger Things” was the most-streamed show in the U.S. last year, with audiences watching the series for 52 billion minutes, according to Nielsen. Its cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, David Harbour, Winona Ryder and Joe Keery.
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