Shawn Levy Reveals the Untold Origin of Stranger Things
As Stranger Things barrels toward its fifth and final season, Shawn Levy pulls back the curtain on how he and the Duffer Brothers shepherded the show to Netflix, tracing the unlikely 21 Laps-to-Hawkins origin of a pop-culture phenomenon.
With Stranger Things headed into its final lap, Shawn Levy is getting a little reflective about how this whole thing actually started. In a new chat with Variety, the producer-director behind Deadpool & Wolverine (and yes, Free Guy and The Adam Project too) walks through his first encounter with the Duffer Brothers, why he bet big on their script, and how his company 21 Laps helped land the show at Netflix in the first place.
Meeting The Brothers
Levy calls Matt and Ross Duffer simply The Brothers. They call him Warlock. It fits their dynamic: more than a decade into working together, he has even played mediator when things got tense behind the scenes. His first impression of them was oddly specific and kind of perfect for the guys who built Hawkins:
"My first impression was hair twirling and gum fidgeting... the Duffers have signature fidgety habits, and they often involve hair and gum - sometimes bottle caps?"
Levy says they were quiet and guarded, but their whole vibe was charged - lots of kinetic energy in how they move and think. He found that combination disarming back then, and he says they have grown up in a major way since.
The script that broke the rules (on purpose)
The moment that sold him was their pilot script, titled Montauk - the early name for what became Stranger Things. He remembers the tone hitting like a tuning fork: confident, specific, and not trying to imitate anything.
What jumped out:
- It was a period piece centered on kids, but clearly not made for kids.
- It mashed coming-of-age warmth with straight-up horror.
- It broke the supposed rules and did it with total conviction.
Proof of concept, then the Netflix push
Levy watched the Duffers feature Hidden and came away fully convinced they could pull this off as directors, not just writers. So when they walked into Netflix, 21 Laps was not only there to sell the series, but Levy says he backed the brothers dream of directing the whole thing themselves. Personality-wise, they are different, but the overlap was enough that they all took the leap together.
Where it all lands
Stranger Things season 5 is the end of the story, full stop. Part 1 premieres November 26, 2025 on Netflix.