Popverse's top stories

• After a four-month hiatus, the the next chapter of the Blue Exorcist manga has a release date
• Ask Rosario Dawson, the Daredevil: Born Again cast, the Amazing Digital Circus cast, the Hart of Dixie cast and more questions at Florida Supercon 2026!
• Netflix makes history with its new Scooby-Doo show - by making Scooby a real dog

Months after the series finale debuted on Netflix, Stranger Things is coming to an end… again. Netflix has announced that both the London West End and Broadway productions of Stranger Things: The First Shadow will close this holiday season, meaning that audiences have just a handful of months left to see the backstory of the show’s big bad in person.

The UK run of The First Shadow will come on December 27, 2026, with the US run at New York’s Marquis Theater will close January 3, 2027. The closures come amid declining interest in the stage productions, with Deadline reporting that the US run hasn’t recouped its initial investment as of writing.

That’s not to say both runs haven’t been successful — the UK run opened in December 2023, with the US debut coming in April 2025, and both productions have won multiple awards for design and technical effects.

In a statement, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer said, “We remain awed by what Stephen [Daldry, co-director], [writer] Kate Trefry, [co-director] Justin Martin, and all the brilliant behind-the-scenes wizards were able to pull off: cinematic theater unlike anything else out there. Their incredible work drew audiences from all over — a majority of whom had never even been to a Broadway show before. We’d also like to give a standing ovation to the incredibly gifted actors who stepped into these roles — including the Tony-nominated Louis McCartney — and to the fans, who made each and every performance so memorable.”

Does this mean that The First Shadow will be disappear forever after the closures? That’s extremely unlikely — after all, Netflix has already filmed the Broadway version of the show for eventual release on the platform. Don’t be surprised if that release comes in early 2027, just after the theatrical versions have shuttered.

Stranger Things — and, for that matter, the documentary Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things - The First Shadow — are streaming now on Netflix.

As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:

• How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
• Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
• There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
• The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
• "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"