It renewed the success of Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2, Netflix announced today that Matt and Ross Duffer have renewed their multi-project development deal for the platform and created Upside Down Pictures, a new production house named for the dimension at the center of their science fiction. In a public statement for Upside Down Pictures, the Duffers shared that producer Hilary Leavitt (Orphan Black, Ozark) has been tapped to lead the studio and expressed confidence in her ability to make it a success. “It didn’t take long after our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over movies like Jaws, Home Alone and Speed, to know we had found a kindred spirit,” the Duffers said. “Hillary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, of whom she is fiercely protective. It’s no wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to work with her.” According to the Duffer Bros., their goal with Upside Down Pictures is to tell the kinds of stories that light them up as young moviegoers — “stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where the great spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins over cynicism.’ To that end, the Upside Down plans to produce a number of new series with similar narrative DNA to Stranger Things. In addition to a Stranger Things debut and Stephen Daldry-directed feature, Upside Down Pictures is also working on an untitled original series created by Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance). Upside Down Pictures will also adapt existing properties like Curtis Gwinn’s take on Stephen King and Peter Straub’s The Talisman , but the project most likely to intrigue audiences is the studio’s upcoming spin on Death Note . Netflix hasn’t announced any hard details about Upside Down Pictures’ Death Note, such as whether it will be related to the studio’s 2017 film at all. But given how poorly received that film and many of Netflix’s other attempts at remake of beloved anime classics, it will be something if Upside Down Pictures’ Death Note manages to impress when it finally debuts.
