Stranger Things co-creators The Duffer Brothers recently announced their new production company, Upside Down Pictures, for film and television projects as part of their overall deal with Netflix. Hilary Leavitt (Orphan Black, Ozark) has been hired to run the company.
Upside Down Pictures will “aim to create the kind of stories that inspired the Duffers growing up – stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where big spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins out over cynicism.” – according to The Duffer Brothers.
The announcement also included some of the projects that are currently in development, which include;
- An all-new live-action television adaptation of the renowned Japanese manga and anime series Death Note
- An original series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
- series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub‘s The Talisman alongside Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Paramount Television to be created by Curtis Gwinn
- A new stage play set within the world and mythology of Stranger Things, produced by prolific and multi award-winning producers Sonia Friedman, Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot, The Reader), and Netflix. Daldry will also direct. 21 Laps serves as Associate Producer.
- A live-action Stranger Things spin-off series based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers, with Upside Down and 21 Laps producing.
“It didn’t take long into our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over films like Jaws, Home Alone, and Speed, to know we had found a kindred spirit.” Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement. “Hilary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, for whom she is fiercely protective. No wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to working with her. She is a rare talent indeed, and we feel extremely grateful to have her at our side as we build Upside Down Pictures.”
The news comes as the Duffer Brothers most recently released the fourth season of their hit Netflix series Stranger Things, which they wrote, directed, and executive produced. Stranger Things 4 is now #1 on Netflix’s (all time) Most Popular English TV list with an astounding 1.15Bn hours viewed in its first 28 days – only the second series to cross the billion hour viewing mark, with the final tally expected to be higher as Vol. 2 reaches the 28-day viewing period.