Matt and Ross Duffer | |
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Matt (left) and Ross (right) Duffer at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con | |
Born | Durham, North Carolina, U.S. | February 15, 1984
Education | Charles E. Jordan High School |
Alma mater | Chapman University |
Occupation |
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Years active | 2005–present |
Known for | |
Spouse(s) | Ross: Leigh Janiak (m. 2015) |
Matt and Ross Duffer (born February 15, 1984) are American film and television writers, directors, and producers. They created and serve as executive producers of the Netflix science fiction-horror series Stranger Things . They also wrote and directed the 2015 psychological horror film Hidden , and wrote and produced episodes for the Fox mystery-science fiction series Wayward Pines .
They are twin brothers and have had a close relationship since childhood. They work on all their projects as a pair. [1]
After the brothers had written and directed several short films, their script for the post-apocalyptic horror film Hidden was acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2011. [2] The brothers would go on to direct the film Hidden, which was released in 2015. Next the Duffer brothers were hired as writer/producers for the Fox television series Wayward Pines .
With experience in television, they began pitching their idea for Stranger Things , which Dan Cohen eventually brought to Shawn Levy. Backed by Levy's 21 Laps production company, the show was quickly picked up by Netflix. [3] [4] The show is set in the 1980s Indiana and is an homage to '80s pop culture, [5] inspired and aesthetically informed by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George Lucas, among others. [6] [7]
It was released on July 15, 2016, to overwhelming praise, [8] specifically for its characterization, pacing, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s genre films. It began to develop a cult following online. [9] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series an approval rating of 95%, based on 82 reviews, with a weighted average score of 7.96/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Exciting, heartbreaking, and sometimes scary, Stranger Things acts as an addictive homage to Spielberg films and vintage 1980s television." [10] On August 31, 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a second season of nine episodes, which were released on October 27, 2017. In December 2017, Netflix renewed the series for a third season of eight episodes, which were released on July 4. [11]
On September 30, 2019, Netflix greenlit the fourth season of Stranger Things. In addition, Netflix announced they had signed the Duffers to a nine-figure deal for additional films and televisions shows over multiple years. [12]
The Duffer Brothers were born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. They began making films in the third grade, using a Hi8 video camera that was a gift from their parents. They attended the Duke School for Children from grades K-8, a private suburban school, and then the Charles E. Jordan High School, a large Durham public school. They relocated to Orange, California, to study film at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where they graduated in 2007. [3] [13]
Ross Duffer married director Leigh Janiak in Palm Springs, California in December 2015. The couple met in 2006 at a production company in Los Angeles, where she was an assistant to the producer and he was an intern. [14]
In March 2018, the Duffer Brothers were accused on social media of verbal abuse on the Stranger Things set by a grip who worked on the show. She said that she would not return for Season 3 because the Duffer Brothers created a hostile work environment for women. The brothers denied this claim, and an investigation by Netflix found no wrongdoing. [15] The brothers had previously been criticized for coaxing teenage actress Sadie Sink into performing an unscripted kissing scene. Sink later said she had no objection. [16]
Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Directors | Writers | Producers | Other | |||
2005 | We All Fall Down | Yes | Yes | No | No | Short film |
2006 | The Big Toe | No | No | No | Yes | Short film Editors |
2007 | Eater | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Short film |
2008 | The Milkman | No | No | Yes | Yes | Short film Actors: Officer (Matt Duffer); Drive-by thug (Ross Duffer) |
Saturday Night at Norm's | No | No | Yes | No | Short film | |
2009 | Abraham's Boys | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Short film Second unit directors and editors |
Road to Moloch | No | Yes | No | No | Short film | |
2012 | Vessel | No | Yes | No | No | Short film |
2014 | Honeymoon | No | No | No | Yes | Special thanks |
2015 | Hidden | Yes | Yes | No | No | Debut feature film Completed in 2012, received limited release in 2015 [17] |
Original run | Title | Credited as | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Directors | Writers | Producers | Other | |||
2015–2016 (Fox) | Wayward Pines | No | Yes | Co-Executive | No | Co-executive producers (season 1) Writers (4 episodes) |
2016–present (Netflix) | Stranger Things | Yes | Yes | Executive | Creators | Executive producers (seasons 1–4) Directors (15 episodes) Writers (12 episodes) |
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | American Film Institute Award | Top 10 TV Programs of the Year | Stranger Things | Won | [18] |
Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [19] [20] | |
Most Bingeworthy Show | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
2017 | American Film Institute Award | Top 10 TV Programs of the Year | Stranger Things | Won | [21] |
Bram Stoker Award | Best Screenplay | Stranger Things for "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" | Nominated | [22] | |
Stranger Things for "Chapter Eight: The Upside Down" | Nominated | ||||
Superior Achievement in a Screenplay | Stranger Things for "Chapter One: MADMAX" | Nominated | [23] | ||
British Academy Television Award | Best International Programme | Stranger Things | Nominated | [24] | |
Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directing – Drama Series | Stranger Things for "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" | Nominated | [25] | |
Dorian Award | TV Drama of the Year | Stranger Things | Nominated | [26] | |
Dragon Award | Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series | Stranger Things | Won | [27] | |
Empire Award | Best TV Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [28] | |
Fangoria Chainsaw Award | Best TV Series | Stranger Things | Won | [29] | |
Golden Globe Award | Best Television Series – Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [30] | |
Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation | Stranger Things for season 1 of Stranger Things | Nominated | [31] | |
MTV Movie & TV Award | Best Show | Stranger Things | Won | [32] | |
National Television Award | Best Period Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [33] | |
NME Award | Best TV Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [34] | |
People's Choice Award | Favorite TV Show | Stranger Things | Nominated | [35] | |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Stranger Things for "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" | Nominated | [36] | |
Outstanding Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | Stranger Things for "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers" | Nominated | |||
Producers Guild of America Award | Best Episodic Drama | Stranger Things | Won | [37] | |
Satellite Award | Best Television Series – Genre | Stranger Things | Nominated | [38] | |
Saturn Award | Best New Media Television Series | Stranger Things | Won [lower-alpha 1] | [39] [40] | |
Shorty Award | Best TV Show | Stranger Things | Nominated | [41] | |
TCA Award | Outstanding Achievement in Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [42] | |
Outstanding New Program | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
Program of the Year | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
Teen Choice Award | Choice Breakout Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [43] | |
Choice Fantasy/Sci-Fi Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
Writers Guild of America Award | Television: Dramatic Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [44] | |
Television: New Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
2018 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [45] |
Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directing – Drama Series | Stranger Things for "Chapter Nine: The Gate" | Nominated | [46] | |
Empire Award | Best TV Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [47] | |
Golden Globe Award | Best Television Series – Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [48] | |
MTV Movie & TV Award | Best Show | Stranger Things | Won | [49] | |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award | Favorite TV Show | Stranger Things | Won | [50] | |
NME Award | Best TV Series | Stranger Things | Won | [51] | |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Stranger Things for "Chapter Nine: The Gate" | Nominated | [52] | |
Outstanding Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | Stranger Things for "Chapter Nine: The Gate" | Nominated | |||
Producers Guild of America Award | Best Episodic Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [53] | |
Satellite Award | Best Television Series – Genre | Stranger Things | Nominated | [54] | |
Saturn Award | Best New Media Television Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [55] | |
Teen Choice Award | Choice Fantasy/Sci-Fi Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [56] | |
Writers Guild of America Award | Television: Dramatic Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [57] | |
2019 | Grammy Award | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media | Stranger Things | Nominated | [58] |
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award | Favorite TV Drama | Stranger Things | Nominated | [59] | |
People’s Choice Awards | Bingeworthy Show of 2019 | Stranger Things | Nominated | [60] | |
Drama Show of 2019 | Stranger Things | Won | |||
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show of 2019 | Stranger Things | Nominated | |||
Show of 2019 | Stranger Things | Won | |||
Saturn Award | Best Streaming Horror & Thriller Series | Stranger Things | Won | [61] | |
Teen Choice Award | Choice Summer TV Show | Stranger Things | Won | [62] | |
2020 | Satellite Award | Best Genre Series | Stranger Things | Won | [63] |
Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Drama Series | Stranger Things | Nominated | [64] | |
David Kenneth Harbour is an American actor. He gained recognition for his portrayal of Jim Hopper in the Netflix science fiction drama series Stranger Things (2016–present), for which he earned a Critics' Choice Television Award in 2018. For the role, he also received Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.
Gina Alexis Rodriguez-LoCicero is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award in 2015.
Stranger Things is an American science fiction horror streaming television series created by the Duffer Brothers and released on Netflix. The brothers serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. The series premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2016. Set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, the first season focuses on the investigation into the disappearance of a young boy amid supernatural events occurring around the town, including the appearance of a girl with psychokinetic abilities. The second season focuses on Will's side effects from being in the Upside Down with its entities crawling into the real world. The third season focuses Eleven and Mike's relationship as the kids continue their battle against the Upside Down entities. The series stars an ensemble cast including Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Cara Buono and Dacre Montgomery.
Charlie Ross Heaton is an English actor and musician. He is best known for his starring role as Jonathan Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things.
Millie Bobby Brown is an English actress and producer. At the age of twelve, she gained notability for her role as Jane "Eleven" Ives in the first season of Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things (2016–present), which has been renewed for four seasons. For her portrayal as Eleven she has received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2016 and 2017 and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 and 2018. She won Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with the main cast of Stranger Things in 2017.
Finn Wolfhard is a Canadian actor, musician, screenwriter, and director.
Caleb Reginald McLaughlin is an American actor. He is known for playing Lucas Sinclair in the Netflix series Stranger Things for which he has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. He has previously performed on the Broadway stage as Young Simba in the musical The Lion King. McLaughlin made his feature film debut in 2020 starring in Concrete Cowboy.
Noah Cameron Schnapp is an American actor. He plays Will Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror web television series Stranger Things, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. His film roles include Roger Donovan in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Bridge of Spies (2015) and the voice of Charlie Brown in the animated The Peanuts Movie (2015).
The first season of the American science fiction horror television series Stranger Things premiered worldwide exclusively via Netflix's streaming service on July 15, 2016. The series was created by The Duffer Brothers who are also executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen.
The Stranger Things original soundtracks are composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of the electronic band Survive. They make extensive use of synthesizers in homage to 1980s artists and film composers including Jean-Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, Goblin, John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder, and Fabio Frizzi.
The second season of the American science fiction horror television series Stranger Things, titled Stranger Things 2, was released worldwide exclusively via Netflix's streaming service on October 27, 2017. The series was created by the Duffer Brothers, who are also executive producers along with Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Iain Paterson.
The third season of the American science fiction horror television series Stranger Things, titled Stranger Things 3, was released worldwide on Netflix's streaming service on July 4, 2019. The series was created by the Duffer Brothers, who are also executive producers along with Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, and Iain Paterson.