Report: ‘Stranger Things’ creators poised to exit Netflix for Paramount
Netflix may be on the verge of losing the creative duo behind one of its biggest global hits. Multiple industry reports suggest the creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, are preparing to leave for an exclusive overall pact at Paramount — fueling chatter about the “Stranger Things creators leaving Netflix” storyline that’s been building all week.
Early in the week, trades noted that talks were underway. By late Friday, a prominent Hollywood newsletter writer indicated the brothers had made their choice and were headed to Paramount, which now sits under Skydance’s ownership. The move would give the Duffers a traditional studio home as they eye larger-scale projects.
Across four seasons, the Duffers have steadily expanded Stranger Things into a mega-production — longer runtimes, bigger set pieces, and ballooning budgets, with Season 4 reportedly costing about $30 million per episode. That escalation has naturally pointed the pair toward tentpole filmmaking.
It’s also a pivot that highlights a long-running friction point for Netflix: theatrical strategy. The company has often treated lengthy, exclusive theatrical windows as an outdated model, clashing with the preferences of major theater chains and blockbuster-minded filmmakers.
While Netflix does send select titles to theaters, it typically resists granting a significant exclusive window before debuting on streaming. As a result, many major exhibitors skip Netflix releases, making true tentpole-style rollouts tougher to achieve.
Pressure for more robust theatrical plans has mounted from talent. For example, Greta Gerwig’s first Chronicles of Narnia film for Netflix is slated to play exclusively in IMAX for at least two weeks before streaming on December 25, 2026 — a notable concession to big-screen momentum.
Deal chatter suggests that very “theatrical component” became a deciding factor for the Duffers, nudging them toward Paramount, where wide-release franchise launches are core business.
Viewers won’t feel the effects immediately. Netflix still plans to release the final season of Stranger Things in three parts later this year, and the Duffers have two additional series slated to arrive on the service in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Hawkins universe continues to expand: a Broadway prequel production, an animated spinoff series, and a live-action offshoot are all in the works — ensuring the brand remains highly visible even as its creators potentially chart a new course.
If the Paramount pact comes together, expect the brothers’ next phase to lean into big screens and franchise-scale budgets — exactly the kind of canvas their storytelling has been stretching toward.
