Stranger Things director Shawn Levy says Netflix took a "huge swing" with the sci-fi show, because "on paper, this made not a lot of sense"

Stranger Things director Shawn Levy thinks the sci-fi show was a massive bet for Netflix – since the show, on paper, didn't really sound like it should work.

Stranger Things debuted in 2016, back when Netflix wasn't quite the pop culture juggernaut it is today.

"Because the [Duffer] brothers always envisioned this as an eight-hour movie, the streaming binge model always made the most sense," Levy explained to Variety. "It was not necessarily the coolest place to be; it was not the obvious place to be. Netflix was one exhibition outlet among many, and it was not the de facto first choice among any.

"But this streaming model, where people could experience a story contiguously and as the eight-hour movie that the Duffers envisioned, that always made tremendous sense," he continued. "Back then, Netflix was a much smaller company. My memory is that the circle of decision-makers was much smaller. And to be clear, the freaking bet the Netflix put on us and this show was staggering – and the kind of huge swing that we don’t see that often at any network or streamer anymore.

"This was an original show with kids, but not for kids; with two 30-year-old, unproven filmmakers; a movie director who had never done TV and whose movie career at that point was predominantly family comedy – on paper, this made not a lot of sense. But it was just that good. It was just that good," he concluded.

Stranger Things has gone on to become one of Netflix's most popular ever shows, so it's safe to say the big swing paid off.

Stranger Things season 5 is arriving on the streamer imminently, with Volume 1 landing on November 26 in the US (November 27 in the UK). Check out our Stranger Things release schedule for the full breakdown.

In the meantime, you can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix shows, or everything new on Netflix in November 2025.