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Stranger Things changed the way audiences looked at television and turned streaming nights into a global event, but the journey of Matt and Ross Duffer carried a very different mood before this triumph. For nearly two decades, television has been quietly replacing film as the primary medium for mature, layered storytelling, with shows like Game of Thrones and Money Heist demonstrating how deeply viewers connect with character-driven drama, while theaters often lean toward spectacle and scale.
How The Duffer Brothers Entered Hollywood Dreams
Stranger Things emerged during this time, taking the trend to another level by building massive worlds, utilizing huge budgets, and cultivating a passionate global fandom that felt like a cinematic event unfolding at home.
Much of this success flowed from the Duffers’ style of storytelling and worldbuilding. Netflix numbers reached records, with each season arriving with the excitement of a summer release, and yet, the brothers remembered how uncertain life felt just a few years earlier.
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They admitted they were “a little delusional” during their first major studio effort, because back then, everything seemed dazzling and terrifying at the same time. According to an interview with the LAist, their first big step came with The Hidden, a psychological thriller they wrote during college. Warner Bros bought it, and for the two recent graduates, it felt unreal.
“It sold in this dream scenario for someone recently out of college,” Ross said. “There was a bidding war between studios, and it felt like we suddenly went from being unemployed to being in Entourage or something. It felt like this amazing dream come true.”
The Hidden & A Studio Experience Filled With Pressure
The Hidden tells a grim story about a post-apocalyptic outbreak that devastated the United States, following Alexander Skarsgård and Andrea Riseborough as parents trying to protect their daughter, played by Emily Alyn Lind.
For two 26-year-olds, leading a major studio film sounded glorious at first. However, the reality of studio life soon arrived, with executives yelling and pressure piling in from every direction. Ross later summed it up, “It was unbelievable to us at the time, and then that ended up going from a dream experience to crashing and burning.”
From Positive Reviews To A Barely Released Film
The reviews for The Hidden were surprisingly positive, but the film’s release was brief, and it almost disappeared from public view. The brothers admitted they felt a little delusional, believing this was the only thing they could ever do. Ross even joked that they feared they might not be able to land a job at Starbucks. They had trained for filmmaking since childhood, and suddenly everything felt uncertain.
A New Chapter With Paramount & Theatrical Dreams
Stranger Things became proof of what television could achieve in this era, a shared cultural moment that united millions. With that strength behind them, the Duffers now move toward film again, signing with Paramount Pictures for projects with guaranteed theatrical windows, something they could not secure at Netflix.
After everything they faced with Warner Bros. and The Hidden, the hope is simple and sincere. Their next journey will be marked by creativity, success, and far fewer storms, while fans watch with curiosity, knowing how much they have endured before reaching this point.
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