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Stranger Things is bringing back a horror classic in its final season - but it’s a moviemaker, not a character
Frank Darabont thought he wouldn't work on another project, but he's back in the director's seat for Stranger Things season 5
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Stranger Things on Netflix is a love letter to classic horror movies, so it's only natural that they would bring in a legendary horror director for the show's final season. Stephen King fans, you're in luck, because Frank Darabont has come aboard to direct two episodes of Stranger Things season 5.
Darabont is perhaps best known as the writer-director behind iconic Stephen King adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist. Outside of his film work, Darabont also directed the pilot episode of The Walking Dead. Chances are that if you're a millennial traumatized from having seen a Stephen King movie before you were old enough to handle it, it was probably a movie made by Darabont. I should know: I'm still haunted by The Green Mile.
Speaking to Empire Magazine, Stranger Things co-creator Matt Duffer said, “Our initial thought was that it’s impossible" about getting Darabont on board. “He told us in the meeting he had no interest in making anything ever again. He’s done. But we decided the worst that could happen was that he says no and we feel a little bit embarrassed.” They asked, he said yes. Why were they so interested in him? Matt Duffer summed it up simply: “The Mist has the darkest ending of all time. I can’t think of a darker ending.”
The Mist's ending is utterly devastating. And to add salt to the wound, The Mist's alternate ending is also similarly distressing. Could this mean that Stranger Things season 5 is going to have a dark ending? Honestly, it would be pretty cool if Netflix had the gall to embrace darkness with such a big, family-friendly franchise.
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