The Creators of 'Stranger Things' are Leaving Netflix. Are Others Soon to Follow?

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Earlier this year, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said at the TIME100 Summit that movie theaters are, for most people, “an outmoded idea.” Unfortunately for Sarandos and Netflix, this mentality has led to the departure of the creators of Netflix’s biggest show.

Yesterday, it was reported that the Duffer Brothers, the brain trust behind the landmark hit Stranger Things, are taking their talents to Paramount. The opportunity to make movies for movie theaters was said to be the deciding factor.

Netflix’s crusade against movie theaters is no secret. In the past, Netflix took chances on ideas that some of the major studios would pass on, allowing creators to bring their passion projects to life at the expense of a theatrical release. However, this model never seemed sustainable. There was always going to be a Pandora’s Box waiting to be opened.

In 2023, Netflix announced that Greta Gerwig—the co-writer and director behind the biggest movie of that year, Barbie–would be making a Chronicles of Narnia film for the service. This all seemed business as usual until a bombshell dropped: Netflix would be releasing the movie in IMAX theaters.

You can imagine the vitriol this brought among filmmakers who had pushed for theatrical releases from Netflix in the past. Of course, when you're courting the director behind one of the biggest hits of the century, you tend to make exceptions. But the precedent had been set, and the filmmakers who sacrificed the theatrical luxury in the name of Netflix’s business model suddenly had something to point to.

Throw in the fact that Cindy Holland, a former Netflix exec who was fired in 2020, now runs the TV division at Paramount, you might see others jump ship to pursue what Netflix is so adamant against: theaters.

Of course, the Duffers are a special exception. They are TV creators who have filmmaking ambition (while many other creators for Netflix are happy to make shows for the most eyeballs), and this likely won’t set a precedent for other prominent voices to leave on the TV side.

But how will this affect the filmmakers who currently work for them or who they hope will work with them again?

Rian Johnson already voiced displeasure about his Knives Out sequels not getting longer theatrical windows.  What’s to stop him from leaving for greener pastures after he fulfills his contractual obligation?

Additionally, it’s no secret that Netflix has major Academy Award ambition. They’ve stayed true to form this year with upcoming awards-buzz releases such as Jay Kelly (Noah Baumbach), Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro), and A House of Dynamite (Kathryn Bigelow). Will these filmmakers continue to come back if theatrical opportunities are elsewhere?

The Netflix money and–seemingly–creative control are always going to be enticing. But with box office returns on the rebound after the debacle of the post-COVID part of the decade, filmmakers might start to feel like they’re leaving money on the table by not releasing in theaters.

Many of these people were raised on movie theaters, too. How important will it be for their art to follow the same trail?

The Duffer Brothers viewed it as a dealbreaker.

With a new team at Paramount hungry for blockbusters, the question now is whether other prominent filmmakers will feel the same.