Emma McIntyre | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Netflix plans to beef up its offerings with more content from its most popular property, “Stranger Things.” The streaming giant revealed Wednesday that hit series creators Matt and Ross Duffer have formed Upside Down Pictures, a new production company that will develop film and television projects, including a “Stranger Things” spin-off, as part of The brothers’ overall deal with Netflix. The company also unveiled a new play set within the world and mythology of “Stranger Things.” Streaming experts expected Netflix to double down on franchises as subscriber growth has slowed and, more recently, declined. Additional “Stranger Things” content is a natural move for Netflix. Not only does he already have an overall deal with the Duffer Brothers, but “Stranger Things” just passed one billion hours of viewing on the streaming platform, a feat only accomplished by one other show, “Squid Game.” “Matt and Ross are an extremely unique talent with a vision so clear and crisp,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in a statement Wednesday. “It’s all about the details – it’s no accident that ‘Stranger Things’ has cut through the hype to become the epic pop culture phenomenon it is today.” Hilary Leavitt, who created “Orphan Black,” “Ozark” and “The Great,” has been hired to run Upside Down Pictures. The new production company “will aim to create the kind of stories that inspired the Duffers growing up,” according to a statement. “Stories set at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where grand spectacle coexists with intimate character work, where heart wins over cynicism.” Upside Down Pictures is also planning a live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga “Death Note.” Netflix previously released an American adaptation of “Death Note” in 2017. Additional projects include an original series from the creators of “Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” and a series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s epic fantasy novel “The Talisman.”
