Stranger Things

Stranger Things
Genre
Created byThe Duffer Brothers
Showrunners
  • Karl Gajdusek (season 1)
  • Matt Duffer
  • Ross Duffer
Starring
  • Winona Ryder
  • David Harbour
  • Finn Wolfhard
  • Millie Bobby Brown
  • Gaten Matarazzo
  • Caleb McLaughlin
  • Natalia Dyer
  • Charlie Heaton
  • Cara Buono
  • Matthew Modine
  • Noah Schnapp
  • Sadie Sink
  • Joe Keery
  • Dacre Montgomery
  • Sean Astin
  • Paul Reiser
  • Maya Hawke
  • Priah Ferguson
  • Brett Gelman
  • Jamie Campbell Bower
  • Amybeth McNulty
  • Linda Hamilton
Composers
  • Michael Stein
  • Kyle Dixon
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes34 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Karl Gajdusek
  • Brian Wright
  • Cindy Holland
  • Matt Thunell
  • Shawn Levy
  • Dan Cohen
  • The Duffer Brothers
  • Iain Paterson
  • Curtis Gwinn
Cinematography
  • Tim Ives
  • Tod Campbell
  • Lachlan Milne
  • David Franco
  • Ricardo Diaz[1]
  • Caleb Heymann[2]
  • Brett Jutkiewicz[3]
Editors
  • Dean Zimmerman
  • Kevin D. Ross
  • Nat Fuller
  • Katheryn Naranjo
Running time42–142 minutes
Production companies
  • 21 Laps Entertainment
  • Monkey Massacre Productions
  • Upside Down Pictures (season 5)[4]
Budget$270 million (season 4)[5]
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseJuly 15, 2016 (2016-07-15) –
present
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Stranger Things is an American television series created by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the first season was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. The second and third seasons followed in October 2017 and July 2019, respectively, and the fourth season was released in two parts in May and July 2022. The fifth and final season is expected to be released in three parts in November and December 2025. The show is a mix of the horror, drama, science-fiction, mystery, and coming-of-age genres.

Set in the 1980s, the series centers on the residents of the fictional small town of Hawkins, Indiana, after a nearby human experimentation facility opens a gateway between Earth and a hostile alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. The cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, Jamie Campbell Bower, Eduardo Franco, Joseph Quinn, and Amybeth McNulty.

The Duffer Brothers developed Stranger Things as a mix of investigative drama and supernatural elements portrayed with horror and childlike sensibilities, while infusing references to the popular culture of the 1980s. Several thematic and directorial elements were inspired by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, David Lynch, Stephen King, Wes Craven and H. P. Lovecraft. They also took inspiration from experiments conducted during the Cold War and conspiracy theories involving secret government programs.

Stranger Things has received critical acclaim throughout its run, with many critics praising its characterization, atmosphere, acting, directing, writing, and homages to films of the 1980s, becoming an example of 1980s nostalgia.[6][7][8] It has garnered many accolades. Many publications consider it to be among the greatest television shows ever made. Stranger Things is a flagship series for Netflix, attracting record viewership with each season's release. The series spawned a franchise, including an animated spin-off entitled Stranger Things: Tales From '85,[9][10] a 2023 Broadway production that serves as a prequel titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and also inspiring many books, comics, tie-ins, a pop-up shop, and a Dungeons and Dragons board game based on the series.

  1. ^ "Stranger Things". Ricardo Diaz - Cinematographer. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  2. ^ "Caleb Heymann".
  3. ^ "BRETT JUTKIEWICZ". BRETT JUTKIEWICZ.
  4. ^ Fleming, Mike (July 6, 2022). "Duffer Brothers Launch Netflix Shingle Upside Down Pictures". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  5. ^ Nair, Rupesh (April 22, 2022). "Season 4 of Stranger Things Reportedly Costed $30 Million Per Episode". IGN India. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  6. ^ Jen Chaney. "It's 2016. Why Are We Still Obsessed With the '80s?". Vulture. 24 October 2016.
  7. ^ Stranger Things’ 1980s nostalgia has long passed its sell-by date. Independent. 28 May 2022.
  8. ^ Stranger Things Is a Scary, Poignant Piece of 1980s Nostalgia. Vanity Fair. 13 July 2016.
  9. ^ Otterson, Joe (April 10, 2023). "'Stranger Things' Animated Series Ordered at Netflix". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  10. ^ Weintraub, Steven (June 11, 2025). "'Stranger Things: Tales From '85' Animated Series Premieres First Footage and Reveals What It's About". Collider. Retrieved June 20, 2025.