‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ to move from Broadway stage to screens

Netflix has filmed the Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow for a future streaming release, bringing the stage prequel of its global hit series to audiences worldwide.

Filming took place at the Marquis Theatre this week, with performances cancelled from February 10 to February 14 to accommodate the shoot. The play will resume its regular schedule on February 15. No release date has been announced.

The recording captures the original Broadway company in its current form, led by Tony Award nominee Louis McCartney as Henry Creel. McCartney first performed the role during the show’s West End run in London.

A new cast will assume key roles in late March, with Victor de Paula Rocha stepping in as Henry Creel alongside Ayana Cymone as Patty Newby, Shea Grant as Joyce Maldonado, Juan Carlos as Bob Newby and Matthew Erick White as James Hopper Jr.

The production opened on Broadway on April 22, 2025, following its London debut in December 2023. Written by Kate Trefry and based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers and Jack Thorne, the play serves as a standalone prequel set in 1959 Hawkins.

The story follows teenage Henry Creel and his family as they move to the town seeking a fresh start. Strange events begin to unfold, forcing Henry to confront the possibility that he may be linked to the growing darkness.

The narrative explores the early lives of characters familiar to viewers and connects directly to the events of the television series, including its forthcoming fifth and final season.

Directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin, the production features a cast of 34 and large-scale stagecraft combining practical effects with cinematic techniques. The Duffer Brothers are credited as creative producers, with 21 Laps Entertainment serving as associate producer.

Netflix previously released a documentary, Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow, in April 2025, charting the making of the stage production.

The filmed version marks a rare move by Netflix to preserve a Broadway production for its platform, extending the Stranger Things franchise beyond television and ensuring the theatrical chapter reaches a global streaming audience.