How 'Stranger Things' became Netflix's 'Star Wars,' propelling it into Hollywood's stratosphere

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Before the sci-fi bid “Stranger Things” premiered connected Netflix, respective accepted studios had already passed connected it. Its creators were first-time amusement runners, chartless young actors were formed successful pb roles, and adjacent though the amusement starred kids, it was not for children.

That was 9 years ago.

The 1980s-set amusement astir a monster that wreaks havoc connected fictional Hawkins, Ind., deed a chord with Netflix’s planetary subscribers. “Stranger Things” has since go 1 of the streamer’s astir culturally important shows, with its 4th play garnering 140.7 cardinal views successful its archetypal 3 months and ranking 3rd among its apical English-language series. It was instrumental successful increasing caller branches of concern for Netflix, including unrecorded events, a Broadway accumulation and inspired brands anxious to spouse connected licensed merchandise. It became a large franchise for the platform, a accidental to physique a beingness astir its cardinal characters and make its ain mentation of “Star Wars.”

Rayna Lynn Chacon, 26, from Los Angeles dresses arsenic Eleven from "Stranger Things" during the Netflix x CicLAvia event.

The amusement helped physique Netflix’s estimation arsenic a spot that makes large bets connected archetypal ideas and, if it’s a hit, tin physique a ample fandom for specified programs with its worldwide subscriber base.

Netflix took a accidental connected amusement runner brothers Matt and Ross Duffer. The brace ne'er imagined the series, which held its archetypal premiere successful Silver Lake astatine Mack Sennett Studios, would instrumentality disconnected the mode it did.

That wasn’t mislaid connected Matt Duffer, who stood connected signifier astatine the last play premiere wrong the historical TCL Chinese Theatre successful Hollywood earlier this month. It was the aforesaid spot “Star Wars” premiered successful 1977.

“For me, arsenic a nerd, this is simply a imagination travel true,” Duffer told the audience.

In an interview, Bela Bajaria, the main contented serviceman astatine Netflix, lauded the occurrence of the series: “You could instrumentality a stake connected an archetypal story, and turn it to a large franchise that has monolithic planetary appeal.”

Other Netflix shows, similar “House of Cards,” person surely captured the zeitgeist before, but co-CEO Ted Sarandos said helium believes “Stranger Things” stands supra immoderate erstwhile hits.

“This was a batch person to a ‘Star Wars’ moment,” Sarandos said speaking connected signifier astatine the “Stranger Things” last play premiere successful Hollywood earlier this month. “This is simply a show, and these are characters that determination the culture, that spawned unrecorded events and user products and spinoffs and sequels ... Everything from the archetypal occurrence of the archetypal play to ‘The First Shadow,’ the Broadway show, the root communicative of the Upside Down, it has been and continues to beryllium a singular summation to amusement culture.”

The 4 past seasons of “Stranger Things” made it into Netflix’s Top 10 this past week, Netflix said. From 2020 to the 2nd 4th of 2025, “Stranger Things” earned much than $1 cardinal successful planetary streaming gross for Netflix and was liable for much than 2 cardinal caller subscriber acquisitions, according to estimates from Parrot Analytics, which tracks streaming data. Netflix declined to remark connected Parrot’s estimates.

“Every azygous streaming work needs that anchor bid that drives lawsuit acquisition and helps specify the archetypal programming,” said Brandon Katz, manager of insights and contented strategy astatine Greenlight Analytics, adding for Hulu it was “The Handmaid’s Tale” and for Disney+, “The Mandalorian.” “’Stranger Things’ has undoubtedly been that for Netflix. Every fewer years that it does air, Netflix knows determination is simply a guaranteed precocious ceiling of acquisition, retention and viewership power,” Katz said.

Participants motorcycle past a "Demogorgon sleigh"

“Stranger Things” besides helped Netflix grow into licensed goods, with brands anxious to spouse with the platform. There are themed Eggo meal foods, Lego sets and clothing.

The bid “has been a catalyst for Netflix to research each of the ways successful which a azygous amusement spot tin beryllium turned into an full planetary lifestyle,” said Robert Thompson, manager of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture astatine Syracuse University.

Its popularity has helped different originative collaborators arsenic well.

Artists whose songs were featured connected the amusement climbed the charts. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” was featured successful Season 4 and reached No. 1 connected the Billboard Global 200 and No. 4 connected the Billboard Hot 100, 37 years aft its archetypal release, Netflix said. Metallica’s 1986 opus “Master of Puppets” besides broke the U.K. Top 30 for the archetypal clip aft it played during the Season 4 finale, the streamer added.

The bid has been recognized with much than 65 awards and 175 nominations. Netflix estimates “Stranger Things” has helped make 8,000 production-related jobs successful the U.S. implicit its 5 seasons and, since 2015, contributed much than $1.4 cardinal to U.S. GDP. In California, Netflix estimates the bid contributed much than $500 cardinal of GDP.

Netflix is doing a ample selling propulsion with instrumentality events successful 28 cities and 21 countries arsenic the bid draws to a close. On Sunday, the streamer hosted a motorcycle thrust connected a agelong of Melrose Avenue successful concern with CicLAvia wherever 50,000 fans were encouraged to formal successful ’80s attire, oregon arsenic a “Stranger Things” character. On Thursday, a “Stranger Things” interval appeared successful the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

The institution began a phased merchandise of the last play with 4 episodes that debuted Wednesday. Another 3 episodes volition onshore connected Christmas Day and a two-hour finale Dec. 31 connected Netflix. The finale volition besides play successful much than 350 movie theaters successful the U.S. and Canada connected Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

“Stranger Things” fans Kelly Audrain and Jason Serstock said they person been rewatching the amusement from the opening to refresh their memories connected the full tale, and were inactive connected Season 2 arsenic of earlier this month. The mates attended the premiere of the past play successful Hollywood.

“The full costuming and everything was truthful cleanable that you conscionable consciousness similar you’re taken backmost to the ’80s,” 29-year-old Audrain said, who was dressed arsenic “Stranger Things” quality Eleven successful a pinkish formal and sporting a mock bloody nose.

People airs for a photograph with a "Stranger Things" backdrop.

Netflix is expanding the show’s beingness with the animated bid “Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85” adjacent year. In April, Netflix’s “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” signifier play deed Broadway. The institution has besides opened “Stranger Things” pop-up stores, held unrecorded experiences and volition diagnostic immersive experiences astatine its Netflix House locations, including “Stranger Things: Escape the Dark” successful Dallas. In Las Vegas, Netflix volition connection themed foods similar Surfer Boy Pizza astatine its Netflix Bites restaurant.

The Duffers precocious told Deadline a spinoff is successful the works astatine Netflix. Bajaria declined to stock thing astir that but said, “I deliberation the satellite is truly affluent and there’s inactive a batch of communicative successful there.”

But determination are challenges ahead. Netflix, seen arsenic the person successful subscription streaming, has had 2 large flagship bid extremity this twelvemonth — “Stranger Things” and Korean-language play “Squid Game.” Analysts accidental the institution volition request to support pumping retired fashionable shows and movies to support subscribers coming back.

Netflix has successfully expanded its “Squid Game” franchise to see world contention bid “Squid Game: The Challenge,” wherever much than 95% of watchers besides tuned into the scripted series. Other fashionable franchises similar Addams household bid “Wednesday,” pirates communicative “One Piece” and Regency-era romance “Bridgerton” are ongoing. Netflix’s deed animated movie “KPop Demon Hunters” volition get a sequel.

Separately, Netflix placed a bid connected parts of Warner Bros. Discovery, with involvement successful Warner’s Burbank studios and HBO, according to radical acquainted with the matter. If the acquisition is successful, it would greatly grow Netflix’s room of titles and intelligence property.

While the Duffer brothers inactive person projects with Netflix, they precocious signed a four-year exclusive woody with Paramount for diagnostic films, TV and streaming projects. Some manufacture observers viewed that arsenic a nonaccomplishment for Netflix.

Omar Chavez, 42, left, and Jenna Chavez, 28, right, from West Hollywood locomotion past a poster.

“The Duffers are truthful young, and they’re conscionable truly opening their journey,” said Tom Nunan, a erstwhile workplace and web executive. “I person nary uncertainty they’ll beryllium pushing retired much hits and much of a assortment of successes successful the future,” helium said, adding that the brothers’ enactment astatine Paramount could vie with Netflix.

But Bajaria noted that the Duffers inactive person immoderate projects successful the works astatine Netflix, including sci-fi bid “The Boroughs” and fearfulness bid “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.”

“They’re ever gonna beryllium portion of the Netflix household and I’m excited we inactive person much things with them,” Bajaria said.

Times unit writer Meg James contributed to this article.

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