2 June 2026<\/time>\n <\/p>\nMatt Duffer has urged TV and film bosses to “choose risk over fear” by focusing on original ideas.<\/p>\n
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The Duffer Brothers want streamers to embrace original stories<\/p>\n
\nThe Stranger Things showrunner, who created, wrote and executive produced the Netflix sci-fi hit with his brother Ross, has insisted that the television and movie industry would make “a lot of money” if they embraced “new voices”.<\/p>\n
\nAccepting a career honour at the Gotham TV Awards, he said: \u201cI say this to anyone in the room with any level of power: Let\u2019s choose risk over fear.<\/p>\n
\n“Let\u2019s do everything we can to help new voices, make bold personal stories, and then let\u2019s stay out of their way.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cFirst of all, I would say it\u2019s less work for you. And second, it\u2019s gonna make you a lot of money.<\/p>\n
\n“But most importantly, it\u2019ll result in cooler s***.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nBefore landing an enormous “level of trust” from Netflix for Stranger Things, the Duffers hadn’t directed television before, let alone served as showrunners on a project.<\/p>\n
\nDespite that, they were still given something of a blank check for the first season.<\/p>\n
\nHe recalled: \u201cThat level of trust gave us the confidence and the courage to step up.<\/p>\n
\n“The experience we had is so very rare in this industry. And in this age of endless data, and algorithms, it feels rarer than ever, which really worries us.<\/p>\n
\n“But we\u2019re also encouraged by what audiences are responding to right now across TV and film.<\/p>\n
\n“I feel young people are telling us very loudly that they\u2019re hungry for original stories \u2013 unfiltered personal visions that haven\u2019t been mangled by a thousand paper cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nMatt’s brother Ross admitted that Stranger Things, which ended on New Year’s Day with the conclusion of its fifth and final season, was a “crazy risk” for Netflix.<\/p>\n
\nHe explained: “I can\u2019t really emphasize what a crazy risk Stranger Things was, how little sense it made on paper.<\/p>\n
\n“You know, all we had was one movie, which Warner Brothers disliked so much they wouldn\u2019t release it, and a weird 50-page script starring kids \u2013 but not for kids.<\/p>\n
\n“No one wanted to touch it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNetflix executive Matt Thunell saw some potential, and the project eventually reached the desk of then-content chief Ted Sarandos.<\/p>\n
\nRoss said: \u201cWhat\u2019s amazing is that all these people weren\u2019t just betting on idea or script. They were betting on us.<\/p>\n
\n“They let us showrun, even though we never showrun before. They let us direct, even though we never directed TV before.<\/p>\n
\n“They let us cast whoever we believed in, including David Harbour, who\u2019s here tonight, as well. They never once hovered of our shoulders or asked us to sand off the weird edges.\u201d<\/p>\n
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