Overview

• The Broadway premiere of Stranger Things: The First Shadow took place on April 22, 2025, following its successful West End run and Olivier Award wins.
• The play explores the 1959 origin story of Henry Creel and younger versions of key characters, linking directly to the upcoming fifth and final season of the Netflix series.
• Critics praised the production’s groundbreaking visual effects, designed by Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher, but noted its plot as uneven and overly reliant on fan familiarity.
• Original Stranger Things cast members, including Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, and Charlie Heaton, attended the opening night alongside creators Matt and Ross Duffer.
• The play is part of Netflix’s strategy to expand its flagship franchise beyond streaming, blending theatrical spectacle with the series’ established mythology.