On the surface, it’s pretty obvious what “Stranger Things” draws from — horror, sci-fi, the works of Stephen King, 1980s pop culture, and of course, Dungeons & Dragons. While such references were transparent from the moment the Duffer Brothers originally pitched “Stranger Things,” other sources require some digging to uncover, from the real-life Montauk Project conspiracy similar to the experimentation endured by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) to fictional worlds such as “Game of Thrones” and the 2013 psychological crime thriller “Prisoners.” Wait, what?
What could “Stranger Things” possibly have in common with director Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners,” starring Hugh Jackman as the father of a missing girl who takes vigilante justice against the alleged perpetrator? As the Duffers explained on Rolling Stone, the impetus for “Stranger Things” began when they watched “Prisoners” and thought of how much better it could’ve been as a streaming service miniseries. That, combined with a missing child at the center, got their creative gears turning for what their post-“Wayward Pines” TV project could look like.
The Duffers took the basic premise of Prisoners and nerdified it
While Matt and Ross Duffer found a lot to appreciate in “Prisoners,” the duo nevertheless felt there were deeper places the film could’ve gone. This was the starting point of a brainstorm session, with Ross explaining to Rolling Stone, “It was great seeing those characters in that tone on the big screen, but we thought it needed more.”
That initial kernel would go on to blend with the various sci-fi and horror elements that defined “Stranger Things.” Discussing how that combination came about, Ross continued, “it was taking that idea of a missing child and combining it with the more childlike sensibilities that we have. You know, can we put a monster in there that eats people? Because we are nerds and children-at-heart, we thought it was the best thing ever.”
Interestingly, the Duffers aren’t the only ones who used “Prisoners” as the launching pad for a future in sci-fi. The film gave director Denis Villeneuve his first major hit, and after making two more thrillers (2013’s “Enemy” and 2015’s “Sicario”), he has solely directed some of the best sci-fi movies of all time, starting with 2016’s “Arrival” and going on to helm “Blade Runner 2049” and the “Dune” trilogy.