Brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, best known for creating the Netflix juggernaut “Stranger Things,” are officially in business with Paramount.
The pair is parting ways with Netflix to enter a wide-ranging, four-year exclusive deal for movies, television and streaming projects at Paramount. The agreement, which is expected to emphasize “ambitious” and “large-scale theatrical films,” will commence following the conclusion of their current deal with Netflix in April 2026. Upcoming projects will be developed through their production company, Upside Down Pictures, led by the brothers and their producing partner and president of the company, Hilary Leavitt.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the Paramount family,” Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement. “To be part of that mission is not just exciting – it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. And to do so at a studio with such a storied Hollywood legacy is a privilege we don’t take lightly. We’re also excited to reunite with our friends Cindy [Holland] and Matt [Thunell], who were among the very first to believe in us and an unusual little script we wrote that became ‘Stranger Things.’ They took a chance on us in 2015, and they’re taking a chance again – we can’t wait to create new stories together.”
As noted in their statement, the move reunites the Duffers with Cindy Holland, Paramount’s new head of streaming, who greenlit “Stranger Things” at Netflix, and Matt Thunell, president of Paramount Television, who also worked with the brothers at the streamer. The pair will also work with Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, who share film and series creative duties at Paramount. Their hiring, which comes shortly after Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance, is part of the company’s chairman and CEO David Ellison’s goal to be the “first call for filmmakers and artists seeking a creative home that champions their work and amplifies it on a global stage.”
“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Matt and Ross for over a decade and worked with them from their earliest stages through their deserving global success. We have seen firsthand their extraordinary creative vision and exceptional gift for storytelling,” said Holland. “We couldn’t be more excited to reunite and welcome them to Paramount.”
Added Dana Goldberg, co-chair of Paramount Pictures and chair of Paramount Television, and Josh Greenstein, co-chair of Paramount Pictures and vice chair of Platform, “We are thrilled that the incomparable Duffer Brothers are joining our Paramount family. Their singular talent for creating stories and worlds that shape culture sets them apart, and this partnership is a great example of the new Paramount in action – our film, television, and streaming businesses united to offer Matt and Ross the full power of our platforms to tell their best and most ambitious stories yet.”
This news, which leaked last week, comes as the Duffers gear up for the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” on Netflix. At the completion of their Netflix deal, the Duffers will remain involved in “Stranger Things” and their other existing development projects.
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“Our time at Netflix has been incredible. Ted [Sarandos], Bela [Bajaria], and Peter [Friedlander] have given us the kind of creative freedom and support that artists dream of but so rarely receive. A decade in, they are family,” the Duffers continued. “We’re excited to continue collaborating – not only on the upcoming release of ‘Stranger Things 5,’ but also on shows we’re deeply proud to be producing, including ‘Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen’ and ‘The Boroughs.’ And we look forward to building out the future of ‘Stranger Things’ together – there are many more stories to tell beyond Hawkins, and we can’t wait to share them.”
From Variety US