A new Stranger Things is coming to Netflix - but it's not what you think

From the stage to the screen, Netflix has announced a behind-the-scenes documentary of the playStranger Things: The First Shadow, a prequel to the hit series.

The story is set in 1959 Hawkins, where we meet some of the familiar characters. The plot synopsis notes how unusual occurrences begin when a new person arrives in town...

"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," it reads.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

As fans will know, Henry Creel (played by Jamie Campbell Bower in the show) is Season 4’s antagonist, otherwise known as Vecna, so the play gives insight into his background and how he became the monster we see in the show.

“It took us a while to find it, but while working on Season 4, we found the answer in the character of Vecna/Henry Creel,” Matt Duffer told Tudum. “He’s so complex, with such a dense backstory, that we actually needed more [space] to explore him. We finally had a story worth putting on stage.”

While we eagerly anticipated the fifth and final season of the show (no date has been officially confirmed yet), Ross Duffer noted how the play's goal was to "enhance Season 5."

"While Season 5 explores Henry’s backstory, the play provides a much deeper understanding of who he was — and how and why he became Vecna.”

The documentary gives viewers a glimpse into how the cast and crew put the boundary-pushing production together ahead of its opening night on London's West End at the Phoenix Theatre on December 14 2023.

It is directed by Jon Halperin; produced by Angus Wall, Kent Kubena, and Terry Leonard; and executive produced by Matt Bell.

Since then, the play has received rave reviews and won two Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment and Best Set Design in 2024.

Plus, the show is coming to Broadway with previews starting from March 28 and is set to open on April 22 at the Marriott Marquis Theater, with Louis McCartney set to reprise his role as Henry Creel after performing the role on the West End.

Viewers can watch the documentary on Netflix, from April 15.

Elsewhere, journalist called out by Millie Bobby Brown responds to criticism, and Stranger Things cast post emotional messages as final season wraps.

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