Stranger Things creators confirm special Behind the Curtain documentary on Netflix
The film will give fans a chance to step into the Upside Down – by taking them behind the scenes of hit stage show The First Shadow.
As we continue to wait for the long-delayed fifth and final season of Stranger Things, Netflix has announced a new documentary project that will give fans a chance to step into the Upside Down.
The film – which has the somewhat unwieldy title Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow – follows the cast and crew of the hit Stranger Things stage show that has been playing in London's West End since late 2023.
It is directed by Jon Halperin and will premiere on Netflix on Tuesday 15th April, exactly a week before the show opens on Broadway on 22nd April.
According to the streamer, the doc will let viewers, "step into the Upside Down with the production team and feel the rush as they race against time to prepare the ambitious, boundary-pushing stage show for its London debut amid mounting anticipation from fans and critics".
You can check out the trailer below:
The play - which is still playing at London's Phoenix Theatre – received strong reviews from critics, including a four-star verdict from us, and won two Laurence Olivier Awards in 2024, for Best Set Design and Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.
The show's synopsis reads: "Before the world turned upside down. Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously, and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town.
"When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy... and the shadows of the past have a very long reach."
Read more:
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow review - thrilling return to Hawkins
- Stranger Things drops first season 5 clue – spelling danger for Eleven
The West End production was directed Stephen Daldry, while the script was penned by Kate Trefry from a story she co-wrote with Jack Thorne and Stranger Things co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer.
Ross Duffer said he was "blown away" the first time he saw the show, while his brother Matt added: "They pulled everything off and then some. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of our lives."
Meanwhile, Daldry said of the show that the challenge was "to create a visceral experience for the audience, where they feel shock and awe, surprise and delight."
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Stranger Things: The First Shadow is showing at The Phoenix Theatre in London. You can buy tickets at ATG Tickets.
Stranger Things season 5 is coming this year. Seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
