Netflix set to release Stranger Things: The First Shadow documentary

Stranger Things has become one of the most popular Netflix series and one of the most popular TV series worldwide. So it is no wonder millions of series fans are anticipating Season 5, the concluding one, to premiere.

To shorten their wait, Netflix is set to premiere a documentary about the theatre play based on the series, Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is set to premiere on the streaming service on April 15, 2025. The official trailer for the documentary is available now.

The show premiered in London’s West End (Phoenix Theatre) on December 14, 2023, and runs until April 6, 2025. It won the Olivier Award and will come to Broadway, with previews starting on March 28 and the play opening on April 22 at the Marriott Marquis Theater.

Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow set to debut on Netflix in April

The play was set as a sort of prequel, with events taking place in Hawkins in 1959. It is also based on an original story by the Duffer brothers, Kate Trefry, one of the writers on the series, and Jack Thorne, who wrote the screenplay for Enola Holmes 2. Trefry wrote the play, which was directed by Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry.

The documentary itself (directed by Jon Halperin; produced by Angus Wall, Kent Kubena, and Terry Leonard; and executive produced by Matt Bell) follows the cast and the production team in preparation for the play, leading to the opening night. It turned out that the production itself was supposed to be as boundary-pushing as the series itself, and that it created an earnest anticipation, both among the series’ fans and critics.

The cast, crew, and production team seem to have had some serious challenges, both in preparing the play for the stage and meeting the mounting expectations.

Yet, it seems that they have succeeded in doing both. The play is still running, it won the aforementioned Olivier Award, and it also got a rave review from the Duffer brothers themselves. Ross Duffer said that they were “blown away", and Matt Duffer commented the following: “They pulled everything off and then some. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of our lives.”

Those lucky enough to get tickets for the remaining London shows or those for when the play is presented on Broadway will be able to make their own comparisons, and the rest of us will have to do with this documentary until Stranger Things Season 5 finally starts showing.

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