Duffer Brothers

Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer (born 1984), known professionally as the Duffer Brothers, are American twin brothers who write and direct science fiction and horror films and television shows. They are best known for the 2016 Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things and the 2015 horror film Hidden. They have also written episodes for Wayward Pines.

Life and career

The Duffer brothers were raised in Durham, North Carolina. They are twin brothers, but have never been tested to determine if they are identical or fraternal twins.[1] They began making films in the third grade using a Hi8 video camera that was a gift from their parents. They relocated to Orange, California to study film at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where they graduated in 2007.[2][3] After writing and/or directing a number of short films, their script for the post-apocalyptic horror film, Hidden, was acquired by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2011.[4] The brothers directed the film in 2012, which was released in 2015. Director M. Night Shyamalan read the script and hired them as writer/producers on the Fox television series Wayward Pines.

Stranger Things

From their experience in television, they began pitching their idea for Stranger Things, which Dan Cohen eventually brought to Shawn Levy. With Levy's 21 Laps production company on board, the show was quickly picked up by Netflix.[2][5] The show is set in 1983 Indiana and is an homage to '80s pop culture,[6] inspired and aesthetically informed by the works of Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, Stephen King, and George Lucas, among others.[7][8]

It premiered in the summer of 2016 to excellent reviews,[9] specifically for its characterization, pacing, atmosphere, acting, soundtrack, directing, writing, and homages to 1980s genre films, and subsequently began to develop a cult following online.[10] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series an approval rating of 95%, based on 55 reviews, with a weighted average score of 8.1/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Exciting, heartbreaking, and sometimes scary, Stranger Things acts as an addictive homage to Spielberg films and vintage 1980s television."[11] On August 31, 2016, Netflix renewed the series for a second season of nine episodes, to be released in 2017.

Filmography

Year Title Credited Notes
Directed Written
2015 Hidden Yes Yes First feature film
2015 Wayward Pines No Yes 2 seasons
2016 Stranger Things Yes Yes Netflix TV series

References

  1. Chaney, Jen (July 15, 2016). "Stranger Things' Duffer Brothers on '80s Cinema, Fighting Over Kid Actors, and How They Cast Winona Ryder". Vulture.com. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Lindsey, Craig (July 9, 2016). "Durham's Duffer Brothers land on Netflix". The News & Observer. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  3. Bonker, Dawn (August 19, 2016). "The wild and strange summer of the Duffer brothers '07 and 'Stranger Things'". Chapman University. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  4. Sneider, Jeff (December 1, 2011). "Warners buys spec from recent grads". Variety. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  5. Geoff Berkshire, ‘Stranger Things’: Shawn Levy on Directing Winona Ryder, Netflix’s Viral Model, Variety, 22 July 2016.
  6. "Stranger Things is an Homage to the Greats". FrightFind. July 26, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  7. Leeds, Sarene (July 13, 2016). "How Netflix's Stranger Things Channels Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter and Stephen King". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  8. Hutchinson, Sean (July 19, 2016). "Every '80s Pop Culture References in Stranger Things". Inverse. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  9. Stranger Things, retrieved 2016-09-04
  10. Allen, Gavin (2016-07-29). "11 (geddit?) reasons why we love Netflix new TV series Stranger Things". Retrieved 2016-09-04.
  11. "Stranger Things: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved August 26, 2016.

External links

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