Stranger Things Spinoff: Creators Drop Biggest Update Yet

Stranger Things spinoff news finally worth paying attention to: the Duffers say it is actually moving. Also, Finn Wolfhard apparently guessed the secret idea once, then maybe forgot what he guessed. Classic.

Where things stand

Matt and Ross Duffer told Deadline that the spinoff is officially underway at Netflix after percolating since Season 4 back in 2022. Netflix now knows the concept, the Duffers have quietly put a team together (they are not naming names yet), and the plan is to move fast.

"We are moving forward with it. Netflix, they finally know what it is."

Matt added that the streamer is excited internally, and he wants this to ramp up quickly. So, yes, it is real and in motion — not just another 'we have ideas' update.

So what is it? And what it is not

Here is the fun wrinkle: Matt says Finn Wolfhard once nailed the exact concept in a guess — he was the only person who figured it out. But Ross also says the last time Finn brought it up, he told him, basically, nope, that is not it. Translation: at some point Finn guessed right, but whatever he is repeating now is not the plan.

If you remember Wolfhard telling Variety he pictured something Twin Peaks-ish — anthology vibes with mythology tied to the Upside Down — the Duffers say that is not the show. In October, they described the spinoff as a clean slate with new characters and a tone that is 'quite different' from Stranger Things. They created the concept themselves and are very into it, but do not expect a rerun of Hawkins or a mystery-of-the-week format.

Timing, other projects, and the Paramount pivot

The brothers will stay closely involved with the spinoff even as they head into a four-year film and TV pact at Paramount starting in 2026. And for anyone wondering if they are going to keep living in the same decade forever, Ross was blunt: whatever is next for them will not be set in the 80s.

In the meantime, they are still executive producing Netflix projects The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen. Expect their storytelling fingerprints to stick around — just not in a copy-paste way. As Ross put it, they will shake it up a little.

Quick hits

• Spinoff has been in development since Season 4 (2022) and is now moving at Netflix.
• Netflix knows the concept; a team is assembled, but the Duffers are keeping names under wraps.
• They want it to go quickly.
• Not the Twin Peaks-style anthology Finn once floated; that is not the idea.
• The show starts fresh: new characters, a clean slate, and a vibe that is different from Stranger Things.
• Finn Wolfhard once guessed the real concept; later, Ross told him his version was not it.
• The Duffers will stay hands-on even as their four-year Paramount deal kicks in come 2026.
• Ross says whatever they do next will not be set in the 80s.
• They are also EP-ing The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen at Netflix, promising familiar storytelling energy with some tweaks.