It looks like Taylor Sheridan might soon have company at the top of Paramount’s creative food chain. It’s being reported today that Stranger Things masterminds Matt and Ross Duffer are in talks for a massive overall deal with the newly Skydance-acquired studio. While the deal isn’t signed yet — and could still fall apart — insiders say it would cover both streaming and theatrical projects, giving the brothers opportunities Netflix couldn’t offer under their current arrangement.
A Paramount spokesperson declined to comment, but the timing speaks volumes.
This would be the first big swing for Paramount’s new Chair of Direct-to-Consumer, Cindy Holland — the very executive who, during her tenure at Netflix, championed Stranger Things from the start. She’s not the only familiar face for the Duffers, either. Paramount TV Studios President Brian Wright and Matt Thunell, both pivotal in Netflix betting on the brothers, are now in key roles at the studio.
The move comes as Stranger Things approaches its endgame, with its fifth and final season set to premiere later this year. Season 5 will debut with four episodes on Nov. 26, followed by three on Christmas, and conclude with a New Year’s Eve finale. The series remains a cultural force, with Stranger Things 4 ranked as Netflix’s third most-watched English-language title (140.7 million views) and Season 3 still in the top ten.
Who Are The Duffer Bros?
Since launching their Upside Down Pictures banner in 2022, the Duffers have been busy expanding their creative footprint. At Netflix, they’re producing The Boroughs, a supernatural mystery starring Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Clarke Peters, Bill Pullman, and Denis O’Hare. They’ve also been developing a Stranger Things animated series (Tales From ’85) and a live-action spin-off, though any Stranger Things projects would be carved out of the Paramount deal.
Their mission for Upside Down Pictures, as they put it, is to tell 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.” It’s the formula that turned Stranger Things into Netflix’s first true pop culture phenomenon, spawning Halloween costumes, toys, and immersive experiences like Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights — not to mention the award-winning stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which has enjoyed runs in both the West End and on Broadway.
Sheridan, whose Yellowstone universe has been Paramount’s golden goose for years, could soon find himself sharing — or even competing for — that top creative billing.
via Collider