Netflix has turned into an absolute sci-fi juggernaut over the years, riding high on massive original hits like Stranger Things, Black Mirror, 3 Body Problem, and Love, Death + Robots.
But the streamer’s genre dominance is hitting a real speed bump as key talent walks out the door.
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer are jumping ship for Paramount, while veteran director Shawn Levy is wrapping up his overall deal to go tackle Star Wars for Lucasfilm.
Speaking on this subject with The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that he actually encouraged them to leave.
“The Duffers have worked with us for [a] decade and did not want to make more TV shows right now,” Sarandos told the Hollywood trade.
“They really want to make big tentpole theatrical movies. And I said to Matt and Ross, ‘You guys are great at what you do, and I think you should go do that. You’re 40. Don’t wake up when you’re 60 wishing you did that 20 years later.’ And I’m thrilled for them. They’re going to have great success.”
As for Levy, Sarandos interestingly stated, "Shawn also was kind of doing the same thing. And the problem when you have an overall deal with someone who has commitments in other places, you’re in constant conflict for their time. And Shawn is going to be making Star Wars movies for a while. So the fact that his deal is with Disney makes a lot of sense. I’m thrilled for Shawn. We’re going to do a ton of things together."
Shawn Levy has officially been announced to be making one Star Wars movie, titled Star Wars: Starfighter (scheduled for release in May 2027), but according to Sarandos, it sure sounds like Levy is planning to make more.
If Lucasfilm really offered Shawn Levy a multi-movie deal, you can’t blame him for walking away from Netflix. Stepping up to build a full-blown Star Wars franchise is an opportunity almost no director in Hollywood is going to pass on.
Meanwhile, The Duffer brothers are explicitly looking to make the leap to movie theaters.
As part of an exclusive four-year pact with Paramount Pictures, the Stranger Things creators are developing a massive, top-secret event film through Upside Down Productions. Mark your calendars: Paramount has already locked in a November 3, 2028 release date.
The massive structural hit of losing The Duffers and Levy has seemingly led Netflix to look at crafting more sci-fi/fantasy projects around licensed IP like The Witcher, Cyberpunk, or Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the built-in audience offsets the lack of a marquee showrunner.
Netflix is also changing strategy and now offering tactical theatrical runs to keep future prestige talent happy, as evidenced by Barbie director Grete Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew, KPop: Demon Hunters 2 and Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory.