Stranger Thingscreators the Duffer Brothers have officially announced the launch of their new Upside Down Pictures production company, which will create a series of varying projects for the prominent Netflix streaming service. A live-action series adaptation of the notable animeDeath Notewill emerge from the brand-new company, alongside other sensational works in the foreseeable future.
Upside Down Pictures borrows its familiar name from the crowd-pleasingNetflix original seriesStranger Things, which Matt and Ross Duffer created. The hit series arrived in 2016 and has rapidly become the most-watched English-language series all-time on the streamer. The Duffers are riding on a solid wave of momentum after the record-breaking release ofStranger Things' fourth season, making the launch of the company exciting news for those looking for more from the dynamic duo.
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The Duffers will look to continue to lean into the blueprint that madeStranger Thingssuch an attractive watch for audiences while continuing to create the types of stories that inspired them growing up. One of the first projects presumably developing from Upside Down Pictures will be a live-action adaptation of the well-knownJapanese manga and animeDeath Note. The series will follow a sharp teenager who discovers a strange black notebook that gives him power over life and death.
Netflix, however, is no stranger to the popular Japanese manga and anime, having developed a live-actionDeath Notefilm in 2017, which starred Nat Wolff, LaKeith Stanfield, and Willem Dafoe. Unfortunately, the film was not received well, earning a 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a discouraging 23% rating from audiences. The Duffers, however, look to venture down an entirely new path to bring the Japanese story to life, which may avoid the pitfalls that plague thelive-action take onCowboy Bebopthat, unfortunately, was canceled by Netflix after an unsuccessful first season.
Aside fromDeath Note, Upside Down Pictures has other exciting projects, including an adaptation of the Stephen King and Peter Straub novelThe Talisman.The 1984 novel centers around a young man moving between two different worlds to obtain an artifact that will save his mother’s life. The production company will also develop moreStranger Thingscontent in the form of a stage play and alive-actionStranger Thingsspin-off seriesbased on an original idea by The Duffers. In addition, the company will also develop an original series fromDark Crystal: Age of Resistancecreators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews.
No timetable has officially surfaced regarding the project’s development or release schedule, but one can assume that more will arise onceStranger Thingsreaches its conclusion.Stranger Things' fifth and final seasonwill hit the streamer soon, providing an epic end to the adventures of Eleven and the collection of well-liked Hawkins characters. It’ll be intriguing to see what The Duffers can do with their exciting line-up of new projects and if they can harness the magic that made them popular household names.
