Share and Follow
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, “Stranger Things” emerged in 2016, captivating audiences and quickly establishing itself as Netflix’s signature series. With each new season, its popularity soared, breaking streaming records along the way.
Fox
Before this phenomenal success, many fans were unfamiliar with the creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer Brothers. However, they didn’t materialize with “Stranger Things” fully formed; their journey began with a lesser-known Fox sci-fi series, “Wayward Pines,” which laid the groundwork for their breakout hit.
Following their work on the modestly budgeted film “Hidden,” starring Alexander Skarsgård, the Duffer Brothers joined the writing team of “Wayward Pines.” This series, inspired by Blake Crouch’s novels and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, featured actors like Matt Dillon, Carla Gugino, and Toby Jones. Their experience writing four episodes in the first season served as a crucial stepping stone toward the development of “Stranger Things.”
“Wayward Pines” offered viewers a Shyamalan-esque dive into mystery, trailing U.S. Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke (played by Matt Dillon) as he investigates peculiar occurrences in the titular Idaho town. As Burke delves deeper, he unravels a reality-defying conspiracy. The show drew heavily from classics like “Twin Peaks” and “The X-Files,” showcasing a world teeming with genetic mutants, the “Abbies.”
The Duffer Brothers departed “Wayward Pines” before its second and final season, armed with valuable experience that fueled the creation of “Stranger Things.” They crafted a pilot and a detailed pitch book, rich with Stephen King influences, to present to networks. While some executives suggested altering the show to focus on Sheriff Jim Hopper (David Harbour) as the main detective, the brothers remained steadfast in their vision to center the story around the children, a choice that Netflix ultimately embraced.
Wayward Pines features many of the same themes and interests as Stranger Things
Fox
“Wayward Pines” promised audiences a new and mysterious world by M. Night Shyamalan as it followed U.S. Secret Service Agent Ethan Burke (Matt Dillon) on his investigation into the mysterious happenings of a small town called Wayward Pines, Idaho. As Burke tries to wrap his head around what is going on, he uncovers a conspiracy that unravels everything we thought we knew about reality. This mind-bending series was deeply indebted to its predecessors like “Twin Peaks” and “The X-Files,” and wore these influences on its sleeve as it explored a world full of genetic mutants known as “Abbies.”
The Duffer Brothers said goodbye to “Wayward Pines” before the start of its second season, which turned out to be its last. And with this experience, they were able to get to work pitching what would eventually become “Stranger Things,” writing a pilot and 20-page pitch book that, like “Wayward Pines,” leaned heavily on its Stephen King influences. When the pair pitched the series to networks, they said that executives pushed them to change the show to revolve around Sheriff Jim Hopper (David Harbour) solving crimes, but they wanted to focus on the perspective of the children, and Netflix eventually agreed.
The rest is, as they say, history. “Stranger Things” is set to come to a dramatic conclusion, and unlike “Wayward Pines,” which ended on a massive cliffhanger, we hope that “Stranger Things” will be able to answer all of the weird questions that linger over its final season. And if you need more Duffer Brothers after “Stranger Things” comes to a close, you can binge watch “Wayward Pines” on Hulu now.
