The Broadway play Stranger Things: The First Shadow is being recorded this week for a future Netflix release, leading to a temporary pause in all New York public performances. The filmed stage version brings the origin story of Henry Creel to screens, expanding the popular Netflix series’ mythology.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow, currently running on Broadway, is being filmed from Tuesday 10 February to Saturday 14 February 2024. To accommodate the filming, all public performances in New York have been cancelled during this period.

The production is based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Kate Trefry, who also wrote the play. It explores the backstory of Henry Creel, who becomes the villain Vecna, and is set in 1959 before the events of the Netflix series Stranger Things.

The play, which won a WhatsOnStage Award, is directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin, featuring set design by Miriam Buether and costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel. The technical team also includes lighting designer Jon Clark and sound designer Paul Arditti, alongside a comprehensive creative team responsible for music, visual effects, choreography, and makeup.

Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions are handling the filming and production but have not shared a release date or further distribution details. The filmed version captures the original Broadway staging rather than the West End production currently running in London.

This filmed adaptation adds to a growing trend of bringing theatrical productions to wider audiences through streaming platforms, preserving stage performances while expanding their reach beyond traditional theatre-goers.