History of Stranger Things in Timeline

Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, is a Netflix series blending horror, science fiction, mystery, and coming-of-age themes. The show follows a group of young friends in the 1980s as they encounter supernatural forces and secret government experiments in their small town. The first four seasons aired between 2016 and 2022, with the fifth and final season released in three volumes in November and December 2025. Key plot elements include the Upside Down, a dark parallel dimension, and Eleven, a girl with psychokinetic abilities who helps the friends combat various monsters and conspiracies.

1977: Close Encounters Inspiration

In 1977, Richard Dreyfuss's character Roy Neary in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind inspired the character of Joyce.

Loading Video...

1980: Montauk Set in Long Island

In 1980, Montauk, a sci-fi horror epic, is set in Long Island. It explores where the ordinary meets the extraordinary.

November 6, 1983: Will Byers Abduction

On November 6, 1983, the events of Stranger Things season 1 begin with Will Byers being abducted by the Demogorgon and taken to the Upside Down, sparking a search involving his mother, the police chief, and his friends. Eleven also escapes Hawkins Lab on this day.

1983: Setting Stranger Things in 1983

In 1983, the Duffers decided on using this year as the time period for the show, as it was a year before the film Red Dawn came out, which focused on Cold War paranoia.

Loading Video...

November 1984: The Second Season Is Set

In November 1984, the second season is set. During this month, Joyce dates Bob Newby. Will is still affected by a shadowy entity from the Upside Down. The Mind Flayer is discovered to be the hive mind behind anything connected to the Upside Down. Eleven reappears and closes the gate to the Upside Down.

1985: Introduction of New Coke

In 1985, Coca-Cola released a limited run of New Coke to coincide with the third season of Stranger Things, which takes place in 1985.

1985: The Third Season Is Set

In 1985, the third season is set leading up to the Fourth of July celebrations. The Starcourt Mall becomes the center of attention for Hawkins residents. Eleven loses her powers, Billy Hargrove dies, and Hopper seemingly dies when the Soviets' gate is closed.

March 1986: The Fourth Season Is Set

In March 1986, the fourth season is set. Vecna frames Eddie Munson for the murders and targets Max as his fourth victim. Joyce and Murray Bauman rescue Hopper from a gulag in the Kamchatka Peninsula. Eleven regains her powers. Vecna's forces kill Eddie, renders Max comatose, and open rifts throughout Hawkins.

1986: Actors Read Lines from Stand by Me

In 1986, actors auditioning for the children's roles read lines from the film Stand by Me.

Loading Video...

November 1987: The Fifth Season Is Primarily Set

In November 1987, the fifth and final season is primarily set. The military puts Hawkins under quarantine and hunts for Eleven, while the group tracks down Vecna. The Upside Down is discovered to be a wormhole between Hawkins and another dimension known as the Abyss.

1988: Possible Beetlejuice Sequel Discussion

Since 1988, Winona Ryder and Tim Burton have been discussing a possible sequel to Beetlejuice.

Loading Video...

May 1989: High School Graduation

In May 1989, 18 months after the events of November 1987, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max graduate from high school. Hopper proposes to Joyce.

1992: Publication of The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time

In 1992, the urban legend of the Montauk Project came to light with the publication of the book The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time.

2000: Possible Beetlejuice Sequel Discussion

Since 2000, Winona Ryder and Tim Burton have been discussing a possible sequel to Beetlejuice.

Loading Video...

2010: Duffer Brothers' Concept Development

Documents from as early as 2010 showed that the Duffer brothers had independently come up with the concept of Stranger Things.

2012: Montauk Film Debut

In 2012, Charlie Kessler's film Montauk, which featured a similar premise to Stranger Things, debuted at the Hamptons International Film Festival.

2013: Prisoners Film Inspiration

In 2013, The Duffer brothers used the concept of the film Prisoners as inspiration to expand it out over eight or so hours in a serialized television approach.

Loading Video...

April 2014: Kessler Pitches Montauk Project

During the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2014, Charlie Kessler pitched his film to the Duffer brothers and later gave them "the script, ideas, story and film" for a larger film idea which he called The Montauk Project.

2014: The Guest

In 2014, The Duffer Brothers were fans of Survive's music since the film The Guest.

Loading Video...

June 2015: Winona Ryder and David Harbour Join the Cast

In June 2015, Winona Ryder and David Harbour joined the cast of Stranger Things as Joyce and the unnamed chief of police, respectively.

July 2015: Duffer Brothers Contacted Survive

Around July 2015, the Duffer Brothers contacted Survive to ask if they were still doing music, helping to land them the role of composing the original soundtrack for the show.

September 2015: Cara Buono Joins the Cast

In September 2015, Cara Buono joined the cast of Stranger Things as Karen.

November 2015: Filming for Season One Began

In November 2015, filming for the first season of Stranger Things began extensively in Atlanta, Georgia.

November 2015: Filming Scheduled to Take Place

In November 2015, filming was scheduled to take place in Long Island; however, due to cold weather, the production scouted locations in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

2015: The Duffer Brothers Film Hidden

In 2015, The Duffer Brothers wrote and produced their film Hidden.

Loading Video...

2015: 21 Laps Entertainment Purchased the Rights for the Series

In early 2015, Dan Cohen brought the script to his colleague Shawn Levy and they purchased the rights for the series.

July 15, 2016: Stranger Things Season 1 Release

On July 15, 2016, the first season of Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, was released on Netflix, marking the beginning of the series' run.

September 2016: Netflix Analysis on Viewer Engagement

In September 2016, Netflix analyzed viewing data and found that Stranger Things successfully "hooked" viewers by the second episode of the first season, meaning at least 70 percent of viewers who watched the second episode completed the entire first season of the show.

2016: Ranked Among Best TV Shows of 2016

In 2016, Stranger Things was ranked as the third-best television show of the year by The Guardian and Empire.

2016: Series Announced for Release

In April 2015, Netflix purchased the whole season for an undisclosed sum, and in April 2016, the series was announced for a 2016 release.

2016: First Season Filming Concluded

In early 2016, filming for the first season of Stranger Things concluded.

September 2017: Cease-and-Desist Letter to Stranger Things-Themed Bar

In September 2017, Netflix sent a cease-and-desist letter with humorous references to the series to the operator of a Stranger-Things-themed bar in Chicago, which was praised for its even-handedness.

October 17, 2017: Season 1 Blu-ray/DVD Release

On October 17, 2017, the first season of Stranger Things was released on a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack exclusively to Target retailers, featuring vintage CBS-FOX VHS-inspired packaging.

October 27, 2017: Season 2 Release

On October 27, 2017, the second season of Stranger Things, comprising nine episodes, was released on Netflix in HDR.

November 15, 2017: Season 1 4K/Blu-ray Release

On November 15, 2017, the first season of Stranger Things was released as a 4K/Blu-ray combo pack, exclusively at Target retailers, which included vintage CBS-FOX VHS-inspired packaging.

2017: Included on The Atlantic's Best TV Shows of 2017 list

In 2017, Stranger Things was included on The Atlantic's list of the best TV shows of the year.

April 2018: Lawsuit Filed Against Duffer Brothers

In April 2018, filmmaker Charlie Kessler filed a lawsuit against the Duffer Brothers, alleging they stole the idea for Stranger Things from his short film Montauk.

November 6, 2018: Season 2 Blu-ray/DVD Release

On November 6, 2018, the second season of Stranger Things received a similar release to the first season on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack.

April 2019: Summary Judgment Denied

In April 2019, the judge denied summary judgment for the Duffer brothers, allowing Charlie Kessler's lawsuit to proceed to trial.

May 2019: Lawsuit Withdrawn

In May 2019, Charlie Kessler withdrew his lawsuit against the Duffer Brothers, after reviewing documents and depositions that showed the Duffers independently conceived Stranger Things.

July 4, 2019: Season 3 Release

On July 4, 2019, the third season of Stranger Things, consisting of eight episodes, was released.

January 2020: Filming for Season Four

In January 2020, filming for the fourth season was slated to begin.

February 2020: Season Four Teaser

In February 2020, a teaser for season four was released and production started.

March 2020: Production Was Stopped

In March 2020, production was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Ranked Among Greatest TV Series of the 21st Century

In 2021, BBC Culture polled critics, journalists, academics, and industry figures and ranked Stranger Things as number 68 on their list of the 100 greatest television series of the 21st century.

February 2022: Series Renewal for Final Season

In February 2022, Netflix announced that it renewed Stranger Things for a fifth and final season.

July 1, 2022: Season 4, Volume 2 Release

On July 1, 2022, the second volume of the fourth season of Stranger Things, consisting of nine episodes in total, was released on Netflix.

July 2022: Controversy over Filming Location and Promotion

In July 2022, Jewish and Roma groups condemned the use of Lukiškės Prison as a filming location for the fourth season, criticizing Netflix's promotion and Airbnb listing of a Stranger Things-themed prison cell. Go Vilnius eventually shut down the Airbnb listing indefinitely.