The Netflix hit "Stranger Things" becomes a play in London. Under the title "Stranger Things: The First Shadow", the mystery series in London's West End receives a stage adaptation behind which the series creators Matt and Ross Duffer (39) are stuck. A prequel to the Netflix show is to be told, in which younger versions of the characters around Jim Hopper and later Joyce Byers can be seen around 25 years before the well-known events from the series. The play is directed by three-time Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliot - I Will Dance", 62).

The official website for the stage production reveals a first synopsis. The upcoming play takes place in the town of Hawkins in 1959. A young Jim Hopper's car won't start, while Bob Newby's sister doesn't take his radio show seriously, and Joyce Maldonado only wants to finish school and then flee the city. New student Henry Creel moves to Hawkins, but instead of the new start he wants, his family finds that the shadows of the past are difficult to escape.

The official Twitter account "Stranger Things On Stage" has shared a first short teaser for the upcoming play. The play is based on a new story by the Duffer brothers and Jack Thorne, 44, developed by author Kate Trefry. According to "Deadline", director Daldry is said to have developed special effects for "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" over a period of one year. The premiere in London's Phoenix Theater is expected towards the end of the year.

The retro mystery series "Stranger Things" is one of the biggest series successes of the Netflix streaming service. Last year's season four ranks first in Netflix's all-time best English-language series list, with over 1.3 billion hours streamed in the first 28 days of its release. The fifth and final season is currently in production.