Netflix really wants you to watch its Stranger Things stage play before season 5
You may need to see The First Shadow before the final season airs
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Netflix has released a teaser for its forthcomingStranger Thingsstage play – but fans won’t find any hints about the show’s fifth and final season in it.
The trailer, which debuted onStranger Things' various social media accounts yesterday (July 5), sent fans into a frenzy, with many excited to get a potential first look at someStranger Thingsseason 5footage.
Unfortunately, the 60-second-long teaser is a let down. Initially comprising footage from the hitNetflixshow’s first four seasons, the trailer ends with a shot of a red light appearing above a stage. A message reading “the beginning of theStranger Thingsstory might hold the key to what comes next” materializes on the screen, before theStranger Thingslogo closes out the video. In short: there’s no sneak peak season 5 footage to pour over.
Check out the trailer for the stage play, which is titledStranger Things: The First Shadow, below:
#StrangerThingsOnStage will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and it might hold the key to what comes next… 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3y9waLiG9jJuly 5, 2023
The lack ofStranger Things5 footage shouldn’t be a big surprise, really.Stranger Things' fifth and final season isone of many movies and TV shows whose production has been halted by the ongoing writers' strike. That means production won’t begin until the industrial action ends. Fans hoping for even a morsel ofStranger Things5 information, then, should have checked their expectations before watching the teaser.
We know some details aboutStranger Things: The First Shadowand how it’ll tie into the show’s burgeoning universe, though. As Netflix revealed in March, the stage play, which will make its debut on London’s West End in November, serves as a prequel to events in the TV series. It’ll focus on the Creel family’s (and, in particular, Henry Creel’s) arrival in Hawkins, Indiana, and fill in some of the gaps in their backstory and the origins of the Upside Down.
The First Shadowwill be a West End exclusive until August 2024 (perATG Tickets). And, withStranger Things5 likely to be in production by that point – providing the writers' strike doesn’t last for another year – non-UK-based fans will hope the stage play heads to their country next. After all, consideringThe First Shadowwill contain some major revelations about the Upside Down and Vecna – the creature Henry Creel turns into –Stranger Thingsfans will need to know about those details before season 5 rolls around. Otherwise, viewers unaware of those story beats may have a hard time followingStranger Things5’s plot.
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The strange, risky issue of franchise expansion
Stranger Thingsisn’t the first culturally significant TV series that’s expanded into other forms of media. It’s one of thebest Netflix showsof all time, so it’s unsurprising that Netflix would want to build on that unprecedented success by fleshing out its biggest franchise hitter.
The world’sbest streaming servicehas already done so, too. There are already numerousStranger Thingstie-in books, comics, and novels to read, as well as a season 2-specific aftershow –Beyond Stranger Things– to check out if you missed it first time around. Add inThe First Shadow, and the announcement of an as-yet-named spin-off TV show, and this is a universe that will only continue to grow in the years ahead.
But Netflix risks alienatingStranger Thingsfans with its prequel stage play, especially ifThe First Shadow’s story contains vitally important information that audiences need to know before season 5 launches. If – and it’s a big if –The First Shadowis only viewable in the UK, there are millions of viewers worldwide who won’t be privy to said key information.
Sure, if that’s the case, there’ll be someone (who attends one of the play’s many performances) who will post the most important details online for everyone else to see. That’s not the same as learning the facts first-hand, though, and I’m sure fans of the sci-fi supernatural horror show would rather watchThe First Shadowlive than learn that information from a second-hand source.
And that’s what makesStranger Things' expansion into live theater such a risk. I previously explainedwhyThe First Shadowmight meanStranger Things5 hits the big Marvel andStar Warsproblem, so I won’t cover old ground here. But Netflix can’t afford to leave anyStranger Thingsfan behind as it builds out this incredibly popular franchise, and I fearThe First Shadowmay do just that for certain viewers. And, for a show that promotes inclusivity and unity as part of its wider themes, it would be a massive shame if even one fan felt left out.
For moreStranger Thingscoverage, read aboutwhich bigTerminatorstar is joining the series' fifth season. Alternatively, read ourreview ofStranger Thingsseason 4orwatch these five spooky sci-fi sagaswhile we wait for the show’s final installment.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
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