You can witness the rise of the sinister Henry Creel in the trailer for Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the stage play based on Netflix’s hit sci-fi series.
It’s 1959, and the Creel family is looking for a fresh start in Hawkins, Indiana. “It’s not real. I’m normal,” Henry ominously says in the footage. As the trailer progresses, Henry remains tormented by his telekinesis, eventually winding up at the Hawkins National Laboratory, the site where he will transform into 001, aka Vecna.
The First Shadow is a Stranger Things prequel origin story set 25 years before the events in season 1. The play features younger versions of Jim Hopper (Oscar Lloyd), Joyce Byers (Isabella Pappas), Bob Newby (Christopher Buckley), and Henry Creel (Louis McCartney).
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is written by Kate Trefry, a writer on the Netflix series. The play is based on an original idea by Trefry, Jack Thorne, and Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, professionally known as The Duffer Brothers. The First Shadow is directed by Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin,
The play premiered in London’s West End in December 2023. Shows were only scheduled through December 14, 2024. However, The First Shadow’s run has been extended to February 16, 2025. There are rumors that the show will head to Broadway in New York City in 2025.
There is no official word if Stranger Things: The First Shadow will be filmed for Netflix. Yet, a trailer for a stage play is a sign thatit could end up on the streaming service at some point in the future.
Aside from The First Shadow, the Duffer Brothers are working on Stranger Things season 5. The fifth season will conclude the series, which has had a historic run as one of Netflix’s most popular TV shows ever. Stranger Things season 5 is expected to arrive sometime in 2025.
