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Stranger Things Creators Eye Death Note, King/Straub Adapt & More

Published Wed, 06 Jul 2022 12:42:10 -0500

Well, it sure does look like Stranger Things creators Matt Duffer & Ross Duffer like working with Netflix, based on today's exclusive news from Deadline Hollywood. The Duffer Brothers have formed Upside Down Pictures and are committing several projects to the streaming service. Hilary Leavitt (Orphan Black, Ozark, The Great, Shining Girls), previously from BBC America and MRC as well as her own Hulu-based Blazer banner, has been tapped to lead the company. With a name derived from their global phenomenon of a series, Upside Down Pictures is looking to produce "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." And the line-up is an impressive one, folks!

So what are the duo looking to tackle? How about a live-action series adaptation of the popular Japanese manga and anime Death Note? And that's just getting things started, with an original series on the way from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). And for you, Stephen King fans out there, take note because a series adaptation of King and Peter Straub's 1984 novel The Talisman is on the way, stemming from Stranger Things' Co-EP & writer Curtis Gwinn, Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, and Paramount Television.

As for the show that everyone's still talking about, Upside Down Pictures will also be the home of the Duffer Brothers' planned Stranger Things spinoff, based on an original idea from them and 21 Laps co-producing. But the ST universe won't just remain on the screen, with a new stage play set within the show's universe, produced by prolific UK-based stage producer Sonia Friedman, Stephen Daldry, and Netflix, with Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot, The Reader) set to direct and 21 Laps serving as associate producer. "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 Duffer & 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."

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