Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Netflix’s hit supernatural show Stranger Things, are reportedly set to exit the streaming giant in favour of Paramount.
The duo, often credited as The Duffer Brothers, are said to be in advanced negotiations to create new TV shows and films exclusively for the legacy production company.
If the move goes ahead, the filmmakers would be reuniting with Cindy Holland, Paramount’s new head of streaming, who originally greenlit Stranger Things for Netflix.
Matt Thunell, the new head of Paramount TV Studios, also previously worked with the Duffers at Netflix.
Variety notes that Paramount wants the siblings to focus on making tentpole movies.
The Independent has contacted the Duffer Brothers and Paramount for comment.
Snapping up the Duffer Brothers would be a major coup for Paramount, which has just sealed a lucrative merger with the media company Skydance.
Earlier this week, Skydance CEO David Ellison told reporters: “One of our biggest priorities is restoring Paramount as the No 1 destination for the most talented artists and filmmakers in the world.”
Whether or not their Paramount deal moves forward, the brothers still have several new titles set to be released on Netflix, including the adventure series The Boroughs and horror show Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.
Variety reports that the duo are also expected to confirm an as-yet-unannounced Stranger Things spin-off after the finale of season five has aired.
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is set to be released later this year in three batches.
The first four episodes will be released on 26 November, with the next three following on Christmas Day. The finale, titled “The Rightside Up”, will then be shared on the platform on New Year’s Eve.
There is no news regarding the run times for individual episodes. In season four, several instalments lasted well over an hour, with the finale clocking in at nearly two-and-a-half hours.
An official synopsis has also been released for the season. It reads: “The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown.
“Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
“The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time.”
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